Collins Aerospace, a business unit of RTX (NYSE: RTX), has completed integrated lab testing for the European Union’s Clean Aviation SWITCH project at The Grid facility in Rockford, Illinois.
The Grid is Collins Aerospace’s advanced electric power systems lab, which has been operational since its opening in 2023, serving as a hub for cutting-edge aviation electrification research.
The tested hybrid-electric powertrain subsystems successfully operated alongside simulated aircraft and engine systems, marking a significant milestone in next-generation aviation development.
Those subsystems are now headed to Airbus’s laboratories for further aircraft-level integration testing, covering aircraft design, battery interfacing, and energy-management systems.
“This is the largest integrated systems test conducted at The Grid since its opening in 2023,” said Kristin Smith, vice president of Electric Power Systems at Collins Aerospace.
Smith added, “By combining our technology expertise with deep industry collaboration, we are demonstrating how hybrid-electric systems can significantly reduce fuel consumption for next-generation aircraft.”
The SWITCH project aims to improve engine efficiency for future short- and medium-range aircraft by integrating hybrid-electric systems on a Pratt & Whitney GTF engine, including two Collins megawatt class motor generators and controllers.
Testing at The Grid drew support from Pratt & Whitney teams, who performed powertrain system integration and supplied the hybrid-electric engine controller, while GKN Aerospace delivered the high-voltage wiring system.
With SWITCH testing now complete, The Grid will shift its focus to supporting the Airbus-led LEIA, or Large scalE Integration demonstrator of hybrid electrical Architecture, project, where Collins serves as technical lead for energy sources.
Collins will deliver advanced aircraft electric system technologies to LEIA, including four scalable electric motor/generators, next-generation electronic controllers, power distribution equipment, and cabin pressure and ventilation control systems.
The Nördlingen, Germany site will supply solid-state power controllers and power distribution panels designed to replace mechanical circuit breakers and relays, boosting reliability and reducing weight across future aircraft platforms.
LEIA testing will span several international sites, including The Grid and additional Collins facilities in Toulouse, France; Frankfurt, Germany; Cork, Ireland; Rome, Italy; and Solihull, UK.
Pierre Durel, Project Officer at Clean Aviation, stated that “SWITCH and LEIA are essential building blocks to make the hybrid-electric short- and medium-range aircraft become a reality: they show the power of collaboration within Europe and beyond.”
Durel added that Clean Aviation is “very much looking forward to the results of the demonstration tests due to be carried out in 2027,” signaling that major milestones remain ahead for the program.
Both SWITCH and LEIA build on ongoing collaboration across multiple Clean Aviation projects, including HECATE and AWATAR, which advance electrification technologies for future regional and short-and-medium range aircraft.
RTX, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, employs more than 180,000 people globally and reported 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, underscoring its scale as a major force in aerospace and defense.
