US Air Force to Award Next-Gen Fighter Contract in 2024.

The US Air Force has launched a competition to build its new fighter jet, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), with the winner to be selected next year. The NGAD fighter is to replace the F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation stealth fighter. The actual solicitation sent to companies is classified "to protect operational and technological advantages." Lockheed Martin and Boeing are the only two US firms that currently build fighter jets. The Air Force has requested $1.9 billion in research and development funds for the NGAD project in its fiscal 2024 budget request sent to Congress earlier this year.