USAF seeking cheaper NGAD amid re-conceptualisation

A Lockheed Martin NGAD concept image, initially published in 2020. What a re-conceptualised NGAD might look like is unknown at this stage. (Lockheed Martin)

The US Air Force (USAF) is seeking a less expensive Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters on 16 September at the Air, Space & Cyber conference outside Washington, DC.

“We haven't set a number or threshold,” Kendall said. “The F-35 kind of represents to me the upper bounds of what we'd like to pay for individual aircraft for that mission.”

“I'd like to go lower. Once you start integrating CCAs [Collaborative Combat Aircraft] and transferring some mission equipment and capabilities functions to the CCAs, then you can talk about a different concept, potentially, for the crewed fighter that's controlling them,” Kendall continued. “We need a unit cost that's affordable and significant numbers [of aircraft]. So that's part of the equation.”

NGAD's source selection was paused earlier in 2024 following a re-evaluation of the technology required and concept of operations it could enable. Until that point, NGAD – which Kendall described as a “fairly mature” concept – was forecast to cost hundreds of millions of dollars per copy. NGAD may still be very expensive, however.

“If that turns out to be the most cost-effective operational answer, that's what we're going to do, and go fight for the money to have it. You end up with small numbers – the more the airplane costs, the fewer than you're going to have. Numbers do matter, so it's a trade-off,” Kendall said.