US Air Force Launches Search for Next Generation Fighter Jet

The US Air Force has launched a competition for defense contractors to develop a sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance fighter jet that will replace the F-22 Raptor in its fleet. The aircraft would eventually perform counter-air missions “with the ability to strike both airborne and ground-based threats to achieve air superiority and support the Joint Force.” The service is currently planning to procure a “nominal quantity” of 200 aircraft, with the contract set to be awarded in 2024. The NGAD began as a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project in 2015.