US Air Force thinks about ditching NGAD fighter program

The US Air Force is reassessing its future air dominance strategy in light of budget constraints, technological advances and the fast-evolving threat of armed drones.

This month, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that the US Air Force is reevaluating its approach to achieving air superiority, potentially shifting away from a manned sixth-generation fighter as part of its Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.

According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced a “pause” on the NGAD program in July. The source states that acquisition chief Andrew Hunter and Vice Chief of Staff General James Slife suggested reassessing requirements at this month’s Defense News conference.

The report says that the review will consider whether air superiority can be achieved by combining existing aircraft like the F-35, F-15EX and F-22 alongside new technologies such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). It points out that advances in autonomy and other technologies since the initial NGAD analysis have prompted the reconsideration.

Air & Space Forces Magazine says that the US Air Force aims to integrate these emerging capabilities into a cohesive system that ensures air superiority in contested environments while remaining cost-effective. It adds that the reassessment’s outcome could influence the NGAD program’s future, with potential contract awards as early as 2025.

In June 2024, Asia Times reported that the US Air Force’s plans for future air dominance are in turmoil due to budget constraints, aging F-22 Raptors and uncertainties surrounding the NGAD program.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) criticized the USAF’s fiscal year 2023 budget proposal for lacking detailed data on the