Westinghouse, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of steam turbines, was selected by the U.S. Government in July 1941 to build the X19A axial turbojet, only the second such engine to run outside of Germany. Later development of the Westinghouse 9.5A (military designation XJ32-WE-2) began in late-1942, with the first engine delivered to the U.S. Navy in mid-1944. The Model 9.5A (9.5-inch diameter) was selected to power the Gorgon II-B and III-B air-to-air missiles, but these airframe applications did not materialize.

An improved version, the 9.5B, which powered the Martin TD2N-1 high-speed target drone, successfully flew in August 1945. However, due to the engine's high cost and continuing engine development delays, the TD2N-1 program was canceled in March 1946.

A total of twenty four 9.5A and 20 9.5B engines were built and, although never widely used, these engines comprised the first family of small turbojet engines successfully developed and produced in the United States.