The NGAD program will revolutionize the skies because it is sure to secure air dominance through a system-of-systems approach. This highly secretive project will define not only a new modernization strategy for the USAF but also move this force beyond a single platform to a networked family of systems.
At the core of this NGAD program is a sixth-generation fighter aircraft that will eventually replace the F-22 Raptor beginning in 2030. This advanced fighter is to be supported by manned aircraft, loyal wingman-style unmanned aerial vehicles, and sophisticated command, control, and communication systems. The USAF considers a fleet to include the procurement of 200 NGAD fighters and 1,000 CCAs—each NGAD fighter supported by two CCAs and another two for each of the 300 F-35 fifth-generation fighters.
In February 2024, RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney conducted a significant ground test of its NGAP solution, advancing the program one step closer to the finalization of the detailed design review. Ground testing is underway on the NGAP prototype, dubbed the XA103, with plans scheduled for testing in the latter part of the 2020s.
The NGAD effort was spawned from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Air Dominance Initiative study, which wrapped up in 2014. USAF dropped its Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan in May 2016, calling for multidomain solutions derived from a more agile acquisition process. That ultimately became the NGAD program, retaining system-of-systems at its heart.
According to USAF Secretary Frank Kendall, the program was in a position in June 2022 to move to the engineering, manufacturing, and design phases of development. The Department of the Air Force issued a solicitation to industry in May 2023 as part of the source selection process for the engineering and manufacturing development contract for the NGAD combat jet platform, planned for award in 2024.
The NGAD fighter aircraft will be forward deployed to execute counter-air missions, conducting air-to-air strikes and attacking ground targets to deliver air superiority for the joint force. Advanced survivability, adaptability, persistence, and interoperability will be provided in the air domain by the aircraft. Since this is a classified program, there is no specific information on the design or detailed specifications for the aircraft.
The program also richly benefits from the use of digital engineering, which can conduct development and production more quickly at reduced cost. Variable-cycle engines for increased electrical power generation and improved cooling have been funded by the USAF. The acquisition strategy of the NGAD program is to broaden the industrial base in a way that would bring innovative warfighting capabilities to the forces more rapidly. One of the primary objectives is to minimize the challenges experienced in recent USAF acquisition programs. The NGAD will have open architecture standards that will allow for future upgrades, and guarantee high competition for upgrades over its life cycle, while at the same time reducing maintenance and sustainment costs.
It is projected that every NGAD fighter will cost as much as $300 million. With the next generation manned aircraft becoming very expensive, the USAF contemplates fielding more numbers of less-expensive CCAs that can fly in tandem with crewed NGAD fighters or autonomously to provide affordable mass in the combat scenario. CCAs flying with the manned fighter jet can take and execute commands seamlessly from the pilot. They will be fitted with advanced sensors, electronic warfare packages, or additional munition to modify the fighter jet and perform different roles, such as a shooter, jammer, or sensor.
Estimates have it that the NGAD program will require $16 billion over the next five years—a period spanning up to 2028—for research, development, testing, and evaluation. The USAF submitted a budget proposal asking for $2.3 billion for the program in the fiscal year 2024, FY24, which will go towards further development of the fighter and NGAP power plant. The USAF included approximately $1.7 billion for the NGAD program in an FY23 budget request, providing money for NGAD’s technology maturation and risk reduction activities and further research and development in advanced sensors, resilient communications, and air vehicle technology.
As the NGAD program matures, it reflects the USAF’s desire to retain an edge in air superiority within an increasingly contested battlespace. Advanced technologies will be integrated with a system-of-systems approach to provide a superior next-generation combat capability in the air.