Lockheed Martin's advocacy for the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) as an alternative engine for the F-35 has caused tensions with engine producer Pratt & Whitney, who feel betrayed by the public comments. Pratt executives accused Lockheed of attempting to delay or stop the Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program and seeking greater longevity on the F-35 line that would distract from or defeat the purpose of a new, sixth-generation fighter. The disagreement centers around the future of the engine and the need for a sixth-generation fighter.
A provision in the House’s fiscal 2024 defense policy bill would require both the Navy and Air Force secretaries to submit alongside their annual budget requests “development and technology maturation progress reports” for the Next Generation Air Dominance program and the complementary effort for collaborative combat aircraft. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., who chairs the House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, said he wants to ensure one technology doesn’t fall behind, and potentially lead to bad decisions for other components. Wittman said the Navy must set its requirements beyond simply seeking a carrier-based fighter.
The US Air Force has begun soliciting proposals for its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, which will replace the F-22, with the intent to award a contract in 2024. The NGAD Platform is a vital element of the Air Dominance family of systems, which represents a generational leap in technology over the F-22. The NGAD acquisition strategy will invigorate and broaden the industrial base to deliver rapid and innovative warfighting capabilities. The U.S. Air Force should procure 200 NGAD fighters along with 1,000 CCA, autonomous drones that will cooperate in the “loyal wingman” role with the sixth-generation combat aircraft within a “system of systems” that see the fighters cooperating and interconnected with other assets.
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.
The US Air Force has released a classified contract solicitation for the engineering and manufacturing phase of the development of a new stealth six-generation crewed tactical jet as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance modernization initiative. The NGAD combat jet is expected to be a direct successor to the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, but serve in a much more expansive role than its predecessor. The competition to win this contract will be immensely heated as it could very well be the last advanced manned tactical fighter-like aircraft built for the United States Air Force.
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.
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.
The US Air Force has begun soliciting proposals for its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, with the goal of awarding a contract for the jet in 2024. The NGAD program will replace the F-22 and will include enhanced lethality and the abilities to survive, persist, interoperate, and adapt in the air domain. The Air Force is requesting billions of dollars over the next five years for NGAD R&D efforts, with an initial buy of 200 planned. The fighter will be powered by an adaptive engine developed through the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program. The Air Force plans to field the fighter by the end of the decade.
Northrop Grumman has released a new advertisement featuring what appears to be its notional Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) crewed platform concept, which is assumed to be a large, stealthy, and long-range tactical jet with no vertical tails and top-mounted low-observable air intakes. The design features a B-2-like 'beak' nose and a single pilot cockpit. The NGAD program includes the development and production of potentially thousands of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs), new weapons, sensors, networking and battle management capabilities, lasers, advanced jet engines, and more. The Air Force and Navy also have parallel initiatives in developing their own NGAD programs, inclusive of the above components.
