The US Air Force (USAF) is fundamentally changing the requirements for a new 6th generation fighter that will replace the F-22 Raptor.
In the new vision, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program could give rise to a smaller, simpler and above all cheaper aircraft.
Speaking during an Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) conference on September 16, USAF Secretary Frank Kendall acknowledged that not only NGAD but also the NGAS (Next-Generation Air-refueling System) and CCAs (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) are undergoing review in their requirements.
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According to Kendall, the new air superiority fighter should cost less than the F-35, which has a price tag of between US$80 million and US$100 million. Therefore, it will cost much less than previously projected.
To meet a possible cost limit, the Air Force could make the NGAD a single-engine fighter and rely on the NGAS to provide greater range.The development program for a stealth aerial refueling aircraft has been gaining ground in the USAF in view of the increasingly dangerous battle scenario.
To make this alternative viable, it will be necessary to abandon the conversion of commercial jets for this purpose and design an aircraft from scratch.
CCAs, collaborative combat drones, should gain importance in missions, taking on roles that would previously have been performed by manned aircraft.
Until a few months ago, the US Air Force planned to announce a contract to produce the 6th generation fighter in 2024, but lessons learned from the war between Ukraine and Russia prompted revisions.
Still, Frank Kendall said he wants the new proposal released soon so it can be included in the 2026 Defense Budget.
