Flying into the Future: The NGAD Program Explained

In the past year, the Chinese and Russian air forces have continued to advance their fighter capabilities. Russia is planning a "sixth-generation" engine design for the Su-57 and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force by upgrading the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon. The progress of these air forces shows how critical the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program has become to the U.S. Air Force.

Since 2015, U.S. Congress has appropriated more than $4.2 billion to the NGAD program, according to the Congressional Research Service, as part of the effort to replace or update the F-22 fighter jets by 2030. While little updates have been presented about both NGAD and the Navy’s own F/A-XX counterpart program, there is still plenty to explore about where NGAD currently stands. This article will explore the goals of NGAD, the latest information provided on the program, and other key aspects to know about NGAD. 

What Are the Goals of NGAD? 

The priority for the NGAD program is to develop a “portfolio of technologies enabling air superiority.” Meaning that while the program is aimed at replacing the F-22 fighter jets, the Air Force is also looking at technologies developed within the NGAD program that would establish continued air dominance.

The Department of Defense (DoD) defines air superiority as “That degree of dominance in the air battle by one force that permits the conduct of its operations at a given time and place without prohibitive interference from air and missile threats.”

In order to realize air superiority in a next generation fighter jet, NGAD could manifest a singular aircraft or a combination of various systems, such as manned, unmanned, optionally manned, cyber, and electronic components. These configurations may deviate significantly from the traditional notion of a "fighter."

There is currently no evidence that the Air Force is developing a fighter plane that sits one person and engages in dogfights kinetically. However, in June 2022 the Air Force provided a status update sharing that NGAD program technologies have matured enough to allow the program to move to the engineering, manufacturing, and design phase of development. 

What is NGAD Developing? 

The Air Force has made public four technologies it is actively developing as part of the NGAD program. Those include: 

1. Propulsion: The Air Force has made significant investments in variable cycle engines through the Advanced Engine Technology program. One goal is to enhance electrical power generation while simultaneously improving cooling capabilities.
2. Uncrewed systems: Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall confirmed in 2022 the Air Force's active development of uncrewed aircraft to complement NGAD. While the specific applications remain undisclosed by the Air Force, according to the Congressional Research Service, analysts speculate potential roles such as intelligence gathering, electronic warfare capabilities, or the carriage of additional munitions.
3. Materials: The NGAD program is dedicated to exploring innovative composite materials and structures. The FY2023 Air Force budget emphasizes the continuation of "new low-cost design and manufacturing structural concepts for attributable vehicles," suggesting the potential use of these materials in uncrewed aircraft.
4. Sensors: This development effort is likely geared towards creating advanced radar, infrared sensors, and enhanced electro-optical cameras. 

What is NGAD’s Budget?

The most recent financial updates came in June 2022, when it was reported that $1.6 billion was requested by NGAD for FY2023. Additionally, a projected $11.7 billion will be spent between FY 2024 and FY 2027.  Secretary Kendall stated in 2022 to the House Armed Services Committee that the Air Force expects to spend “multiple hundreds of millions” of dollars per aircraft. 

Other Key Facts Regarding NGAD

A research and development-based program like NGAD contains many intricacies, but the following are some key points worth remembering. 

Companies are Working on NGAD

Although the Air Force has yet to disclose NGAD contractors, this past May it did share it had sent industry a classified solicitation for an engineering and manufacturing development contracts for the program. The Air Force added that it plans to award the contract at some point in 2024, with Lockheed Martin and Boeing expected to be the two remaining bidders. Textron and General Atomics are also both reportedly working on capabilities to develop a next generation fighter. 

Redesigned Acquisition Process

One of the mandates of the NGAD program is to play a role in the Air Force’s effort to overhaul its current acquisition process. Air Force acquisition executive Dr. Will Roper has stated that one of the goals of NGAD is to split design, production, and sustainment contracts. Meaning a variety of companies could win contracts to work on NGAD. This new process enables the Air Force to open itself up to working with businesses that have not historically been military aviation prime contractors. 

One potential reason the Air Force is keen on overhauling its acquisition process is due to the challenges the branch faced with the F-35/Joint Strike Fighter program over the last two decades. The program remains the most expensive weapons system program in the history of the DoD with an estimated cost of over $1.7 trillion. The DoD plans to acquire 2,470 F-35s to replace several other aircraft used by the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. As of December 2023, the program has delivered over 900 aircraft to the U.S. services. The program has experienced issues due to delays in developing the needed technologies and added maintenance costs caused by issues with the aircraft's current cooling system. 

NGAD Timeline

For the next couple of years, NGAD is expected to continue as a research effort, with plans to acquire production aircraft or other systems around 2030. Even if the NGAD flight demonstrator becomes production-ready, establishing production facilities may take several years due to intricate manufacturing processes and tooling. Additionally, factors such as budget restrictions or congressional pressure can delay production. 

Other Air Dominance Programs 

NGAD is not the only program of its kind. The Navy is also working on a similar program called F/A XX, which has requested $9 billion to fund its new fighter jet. US-allied partners, including the French, German, British, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese militaries, are all also investing large amounts of money into their next generation fighter aircraft. Future Combat Air System (FCAS) is the air superiority system used by the French, German, and Spanish militaries, and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) is utilized by the English, Italians, and Japanese.

For those interested in learning more about the Air Force's quest for air superiority through NGAD, and how it might impact the future of pilot training, register for Military Flight Training this October 29-30 at the Westin San Antonio North in San Antonio, Texas.