5 Surprising Facts About The USAF's Newest Fighter Jet Program

5 Surprising Facts About The USAF’s Newest Fighter Jet Program

• The United States Air Force (USAF) is already exploring its sixth-generation fighter jet, part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD).
• This aircraft will replace the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
• The fighter jet still has very few publicly available details.

There is no doubt that the United States service branches have some of the most modern fighter jet fleets in the world, and the US government ensures that it can continue to dominate the world’s skies with the latest designs. However, all aircraft age, and the current fleet of fighter jets, including the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, is no exception.

Part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative

Explored since 2014

• Fighter program designated as the Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform

According to the USDefense Science Board (DSB)task force report on air dominance, the board was told to conduct a study to”consider the most effective science, technology, capability and systems for maintaining air dominance beyond the next decade.”

The study’s starting point was the joint’ Air Dominance Initiative,’ which was led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and concluded in 2014. Nevertheless, the fighter jet will be part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, with many domains, including unmanned aircraft, coming together to ensure the United States Air Force’s (USAF) dominance in the sky.

AUSAFdocument detailed that the study efforts on the Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform”will focus on maximizing tradeoffs between range, payload, survivability, lethality, affordability, and supportability.”In addition to having a role as a targeting and engaging platform, the PCA will act as a node in the network, providing data to other nodes of NGAD.

Related

The USAF’s Next Generation Air Dominance Initiative: Everything You Need To Know

The USAFs NGAD development and outlook is still hazy.

At least $28.48 billion dedicated to the program through 2028

Latest Department of Defense budget request was published in March 2024

• Planned Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) costs between 2025 and 2029: $19.6 billion

As reported byAir & Space Forces Magazine, the USAF plans to spend over $28.48 billion on the NGAD program, including the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), an unmanned drone that would escort the initiative’s fighter jet.

Nevertheless, theUS Department of Defense (DoD)budget overview for FY2025 stated that the DoD”continues developing advanced combat aircraft for the Navy and Air Force within the Next Generation Air Dominance programs.”

Related

United States Air Force To Spend $28 Billion On Next-Generation Fighter Jet

A review of the US Air Force’s plans to spend billions of dollars on this ambitious project.

Replacing the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

Last F-22 Raptor delivered on May 2nd, 2012

• Next sixth-generation fighter jet

On May 2nd, 2012, Lockheed Martin announced that it had delivered the 195th and the last Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor to the USAF. While with the delivery, the USAF became the only air force in the world with a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet fleet at the time, it slowly became a problem, as the service will eventually have to replace the F-22s.

Nevertheless, Robert Stevens, the now-retired chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Lockheed Martin, said that”there is no longer any nation that wishes us ill or any adversary who wishes us harm that has any doubt that their actions will have consequences – that they will be held to account and that our response will be undeterred.”Stevens added that,

“The very existence of this airplane – your airplane – has altered the strategic landscape forever.”

As a result of the final delivery of the F-22 Raptor, which occurred almost 12 years ago, the USAF will have no option but to replace the jets. Still, according to a report byAviation Week, the service branch has continued to request money to upgrade and maintain its F-22s, with $19.5 billion planned from 2023 until 2028. In the latest budget request, the DoD said that the following year’s program aims to ensure that the F-22s”are upgraded with state-of-the-art sensors, improved survivability, enhanced interoperability, and extended range and time on station.”

Related

Explained: The Strengths & Weaknesses Of The F-22 Raptor Fighter Jet

The Raptor’s incredible power and stealth make it the most dominant fighter on the planet, but its cost and obsolescing technology hold it back.

Originating from a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) study

Study concluded in April 2016

• Four areas to address

Per the aforementioned DSB task force report, which was unclassified in January 2017, the Board assembled a task force composed of national leaders in science and technology with special expertise in air systems technology. Meeting between February 2015 and April 2016, the task force explored concepts for the DoD to maintain air dominance beyond the next decade.

The DSB outlined four areas to address, starting with the projected threat environment that will shape the requirements for air dominance in years to come, in addition to the nature of air dominance and the essential objectives to maintain it.

Furthermore, the board said that it had to address effective system strategies to develop critical technologies and capabilities to ensure resilience in an increasingly competitive, congested, and contested world. Lastly, the board had to look into how to critically enable concepts of operations, doctrine and policy, and tactics, techniques, and procedures that are optimized for the recommended critical technologies and capabilities.

Related

When Will The US Gen 6 Fighter Jets Enter Service?

Development of the Air Force’s 6th gen fighter is well underway and it will soon succeed the F-22s and join the F-35s to dominate the skies.

Flying a full-scale demonstrator

United States Air Force (USAF) has already tested a demonstrator

• Flight occured in September 2020

As reported byAirforce-technology.com, the USAF flew a full-scale NGAD flight demonstrator in September 2020.Aviation Weekadded that Will Roper, the former Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics at the USAF, said during an online session that the program had come so far that a full-scale demonstrator had already flown in the physical world.

Meanwhile,The War Zonereported that the NGAD had three demonstrators as of June 2023, with at least two prime contractors being involved with the initiative to provide the USAF with a next-generation fighter jet. The publication added that the USAF should make its decision about the fighter’s design in 2024.

Related

Tomorrow’s Fighter Jets: A Look At The Future Of Military Flying

Drones will fly alongside future fighter jets.