US Air Force begins designing next-generation NGAD fighter
The Pentagon has revealed new details of work on the promising NGAD (Next-Generation Air Dominance) program. Right now, the participants are starting the full-fledged development of the future 6th generation fighter, and later they will begin to prepare the production of an experimental machine. They plan to spend several years on these works, thanks to which serial aircraft may appear in combat units before the end of the decade.
According to official data
The NGAD "next generation fighter" development program was launched in 2015. Over the next few years, the US Air Force and its contractors conducted various studies and determined the requirements for the future aircraft, its optimal appearance, etc. In September 2020, it became known that a certain technology demonstrator was built and tested in the air as part of the program. At the same time, the full development of the future aviation complex did not begin.
New information about the NGAD project was announced on June 1 during the conference of the American Heritage Foundation. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall III spoke at the event. The Defense News publication cites his most interesting statements on the topic of the 6th generation fighter.
According to the minister, now the NGAD project is moving to the stage of "engineering, manufacturing and development" (engineering, manufacturing and development - EMD). During these activities, a technical project will be completed, according to which the first prototype aircraft will then be built. The result of the begun stage will be the launch of mass production and the receipt of equipment by the troops, followed by initial operational readiness (initial operating capability - IOC).
Technical details of the program were not given, but the minister revealed some other interesting data. So, F. Kendall confirmed that NGAD is still considered not as a specific aircraft, but as a family of systems or aviation complex. Several models of aviation equipment will be created on a single platform and common solutions. In particular, it is planned to develop a manned fighter and an unmanned "faithful wingman" for joint use with it.
Timing problem
The minister also drew attention to the timing of the work. According to him, it usually takes about seven years from the launch of EMD on new aircraft to initial readiness. Since the start of NGAD, this period has already passed, but so far it has only been about preliminary studies. Now development begins, and you can count the years until the completion of the project. F. Kendell expects IOC to be achieved already this decade.
At the same time, the minister is not satisfied with the current deadlines for the completion of work. He would like new developments to go through all stages of development faster and get into the troops. So, in the current system, the development of a new product begins with experiments and demonstrations of technology - and only after that the full-fledged design starts. F. Kendall stated that he was "not interested in demonstrations and experiments" unless they were vital to the project.
It is necessary to move on to design as soon as possible, which will allow you to quickly get all the desired results. A similar approach, according to the minister, is now required in several promising areas. For example, it is necessary to speed up work on UAVs to accompany manned aircraft.
Whether these ideas and proposals relate to the NGAD aviation complex is not reported. At the same time, it should be taken into account that this project is very complex and has so far been in the early research stages. Probably now it will not be accelerated - for obvious reasons.
Secret developments
The Minister of the Air Force has revealed general information about ongoing work, but the most interesting data about the NGAD program is still closed. Only some features of the project are known, while the exact requirements, the composition of the family, the appearance of aircraft, etc. have not been revealed yet. In addition, it has not yet been reported on the holding of the competitive stage and the selection of one of the contractors.
However, the Air Force already presents an approximate price level for new equipment. In April, F. Kendall told Congress that the basic NGAD family fighter would cost hundreds of millions of dollars - more than any other modern combat aircraft or UAV.
According to known data, the aircraft-platform of modular architecture will become the basis of the family. It will be a stealth supersonic aircraft with the ability to integrate the cockpit/pilots or install an advanced AI autopilot. It is assumed that it is for NGAD that a new “adaptive” engine is being developed, the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP).
The exact appearance of the aircraft, capable of meeting the requirements of the Pentagon, remains unknown. In open publications, images of a twin-engine "flying wing" with internal cargo compartments appear. The manned and unmanned versions differ externally only in the presence of a cockpit lantern.
First of all, the complex includes a 6th generation manned fighter-bomber, which is similar in its functions to existing machines, but surpasses them in performance. UAVs for reconnaissance and strike purposes should also appear, capable of working one by one or in a group, incl. under the control of the aircraft. It is obvious that representatives of the NGAD family will be able to interact with other types of equipment, as well as work in the general control loops of interspecific groupings.
Different members of the family will receive one or another target equipment, radio systems and weapons. In particular, a new generation of electronic equipment is required, such as an advanced set of lighting equipment.
At the first stage, NGAD will have to carry existing weapons - guided bombs and missiles of current and advanced types. In the future, integration is not excluded weapons "on new physical principles". If the industry can solve the relevant technical problems, fighters and UAVs will be armed with lasers or other special means.
Breakthroughs and difficulties
In general, we can talk about a number of technical, technological and tactical breakthroughs. However, there is still no official information about the features and capabilities of the future NGAD family, and this seriously complicates realistic forecasts and estimates.
It is likely that the real project will be simpler and more modest than the assumptions made. During the previous research stage, the Air Force and industry had to determine the reality of certain proposals and wishes, as well as clarify the final tactical and technical task. Some requirements could be abandoned or postponed to a later date due to excessive complexity.
In addition to technical tasks, the Air Force and contractors will have to solve tactical and operational issues. First of all, it will be necessary to create and work out methods for the joint operation of manned aircraft and UAVs. A number of experimental "faithful followers" have already been created and are being tested. Apparently, the experience of these projects will be taken into account in the unmanned part of the NGAD program.
Recent statements by the Minister of the Air Force may indicate that the main theoretical issues of the NGAD program were successfully resolved during the previous research phase. Such successes provide an opportunity to move to EMD, and also allow you to estimate the timing of all the following works. At the same time, the Pentagon is showing some optimism and believes that the new project will take as much time as the previous ones.
Generational change
Thus, the US Air Force continues to purchase modern fighters and is already working on next-generation aircraft. Moreover, a complex long-term project, which has special requirements, started several years ago and has managed to pass the first stages by now.
Now the Pentagon and contractors are launching a full-fledged development, as well as drawing up a work schedule for the foreseeable future. A new aircraft may appear, pass tests, enter the series and enter the troops before the end of the decade. Of course, if the plans of the Ministry of the Air Force are realistic, and the industry will cope with their implementation. At the same time, it can be expected that the Pentagon and industry will soon begin to publish new interesting data on a promising project.
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