A United States Air Force (USAF) will select the aircraft manufacturer for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project in 2024. The program will create the country's first sixth-generation fighter, which will replace the F-22 Raptor.
Back in May, the USAF had already sent reserved requests to the industry, so that companies could return with proposals for the development, engineering and production of the NGAD, points out the portal Defense News. Based on these proposals, the Air Force command began to evaluate the manufacturer that will eventually be chosen to manufacture the aircraft.
Currently producing the B-21 Raider bomber, Northrop Grumman announced in July its withdrawal from the competition for NGAD this year. Therefore, the contract is likely to be disputed between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
The NGAD will not create just one plane, but rather a “family of systems”, having as its central point a manned aircraft and elements, such as combat drones (also called collaborative combat aircraft), higher-capacity sensors, better satellite connection and other components. It is possible that the F-22's replacement will also incorporate directed energy weapons, lasers.
“The NGAD platform is a vital element of the air dominance systems family that represents a generational leap in technology over the F-22,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in May. “NGAD will include attributes such as increased lethality and the ability to survive, persist, interoperate and adapt in the air domain, all in highly contested operational environments.”
At the beginning of the year, the USAF said that the new sixth-generation fighter will be designed with open architecture to take advantage of competition throughout its life cycle, something that will also reduce maintenance and costs. At the same time, the air force maintains silence on several other confidential technical details of the program, citing security reasons.
Also in 2024, the USAF intends to invest a considerable budget in the engine that will equip the NGAD fighter. Called Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP), the new engine was even considered to replace the model currently used by the F-35 Lightning II.
The main feature of NGAP is an adaptive element, which allows the engine to quickly change between operating modes that provide more power or more economy. The project is expected to incorporate a series of technologies obtained from research funded by the US Department of Defense
In parallel, the United States Navy is also conducting its own program for a sixth-generation fighter, called the F/A-XX, which is expected to replace the F/A-18 Super Hornet and fly alongside the F-35 on aircraft carriers. .
