The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) is a highly classified program by the US Air Force (USAF) aimed at enhancing lethality and ensuring air superiority. This program represents a significant evolution in the USAF’s modernization strategy, moving towards a system-of-systems approach rather than focusing solely on a single platform. At its core is a New American Fighter Aircraft, a sixth-generation jet designed to be the centerpiece of a network-connected family of systems.
The central component of the NGAD family of systems is a sixth-generation fighter aircraft. This modern jet is slated to replace the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft, with its entry into service expected to begin in 2030. The USAF plans an initial procurement of 200 NGAD fighters. Complementing these manned aircraft will be a thousand unmanned collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), based on the assumption of fielding two CCA platforms for each NGAD fighter and an additional two for each of the 300 F-35 fifth-generation fighters currently in service.
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Project Background and Development
The roots of the NGAD program trace back to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Air Dominance Initiative study, completed in 2014. This was followed by the USAF’s Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan in May 2016, which highlighted the need for agile, multi-domain solutions. This flight plan evolved into the current NGAD program, centered on a system-of-systems approach.
In June 2022, USAF Secretary Frank Kendall announced the program’s readiness to enter the engineering, manufacture, and design (EMD) phase. By May 2023, the Department of the Air Force issued a solicitation to industry, part of the source selection process for the EMD contract for the NGAD combat jet platform, with an award anticipated in 2024.
Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP)
The NGAD fighter aircraft will be powered by advanced engines developed under the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. In August 2022, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman were each awarded substantial contracts worth $975 million over ten years for NGAP. These contracts cover technology maturation and risk reduction, including the design, analysis, and testing of prototype engines like Pratt & Whitney’s XA103 and GE Aerospace’s XA100.
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Pratt & Whitney recently completed a crucial evaluation of its NGAP solution in collaboration with the USAF in February 2024, moving closer to finalising the detailed design review. The team is currently focused on conducting ground testing for the NGAP prototype, known as XA103, with plans for testing scheduled for the later part of the 2020s. GE Aerospace also reported finishing additional testing on its XA100 engine in November 2023, providing insights beneficial to NGAP. These propulsion technologies are vital for providing the necessary range, power, and thermal management for future air dominance platforms.
NGAD Fighter Jet Capabilities and Technologies
The NGAD New American Fighter Aircraft is specifically designed for counter-air missions, performing both air-to-air strikes and engaging ground targets to establish air superiority for the joint force. While the detailed design and specifications remain highly classified due to the sensitive nature of the program, the aircraft is expected to offer enhanced survivability, adaptability, persistence, and interoperability within the air domain.
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The program significantly leverages digital engineering tools, which Secretary Frank Kendall noted could lead to substantial time and cost savings, potentially up to 20%. The USAF is also investing in advanced technologies like variable-cycle engines to boost electrical power generation and improve cooling, essential for future systems.
The acquisition strategy for NGAD aims to widen the industrial base to bring innovative warfighting capabilities to forces more quickly. One key objective is to mitigate challenges seen in recent USAF acquisition programs. NGAD will incorporate open architecture standards to enable future upgrades, maximising competition for life-cycle improvements and cutting maintenance costs.
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Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs)
Given the estimated high cost of the manned NGAD fighter, potentially reaching $300 million per aircraft, the USAF plans to deploy a larger number of less expensive Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs). These unmanned platforms are designed to operate in tandem with crewed NGAD fighters or autonomously, providing “affordable mass” in combat scenarios. CCAs flying alongside the manned jet can seamlessly receive and execute pilot commands. They are envisioned to carry advanced sensors, electronic warfare packages, or additional munitions, augmenting the fighter jet and performing diverse roles such as shooter, jammer, or sensor.
Funding and Budget
Funding estimates suggest the NGAD program will require approximately $16 billion over the next five years through 2028 for research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E). The USAF’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) included a request for $2.3 billion for the program, designated for further development of the fighter aircraft and the NGAP power plant. In the preceding FY23 budget request, the USAF allocated approximately $1.7 billion for the NGAD program, covering technology maturation, risk reduction, and advanced R&D in sensors, communications, and air vehicle technology.
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Conclusion
The Next Generation Air Dominance program represents the US Air Force’s ambitious effort to develop a cutting-edge new american fighter aircraft and a networked system-of-systems to ensure air superiority in future conflicts. Combining a highly advanced sixth-generation manned fighter with cost-effective collaborative unmanned aircraft and revolutionary propulsion technology, NGAD is poised to redefine air combat. Despite the program’s classified nature and significant costs, its development is proceeding, aiming for service entry in 2030 to replace the aging F-22 fleet and maintain the US’s dominance in the air domain.
