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

The US Air Force has released a classified solicitation for an engineering and manufacturing development contract for its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, which will replace the F-22 Raptor. The NGAD platform will be a "family of systems" that incorporates a crewed aircraft component as well as collaborative combat aircraft. The Air Force plans to award the NGAD contract in 2024 and hopes to start fielding the crewed component by the end of the decade. Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin have expressed interest in pursuing the contract.