USAF/USN 6th Gen Fighters - F/A-XX, F-X, NGAD, PCA, ASFS News & Analysis [2008- 2025]

[Dreamflyer]

Back (for a moment) to last year;

September 27, 2022

The U.S. Air Force’s secretive, next-generation fighter platform is still in the design process and has not formally entered its engineering, manufacturing and development stage, the service’s secretary said this month.
The acknowledgment marks a step back from June, when Frank Kendall publicly said the highly classified NGAD program had already hit the key milestone. “We have now started on the EMD program to do the development aircraft that we’re going to take into production,” he said during a Heritage Foundation event at the time.
Kendall offered the fullest update so far on the status of NGAD during a Sept. 19 roundtable with reporters at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber conference.
The service is still designing NGAD, Kendall said, and the program has not yet gone through the Milestone B review process. That milestone marks the completion of a program’s technology maturation phase and the formal start of an acquisition program, when the service takes its preliminary design and focuses on system integration, manufacturing processes and other details ahead of production.
...
Asked about his June comments during the Defense News Conference on Sept. 7, Kendall suggested he hadn’t meant the implication.
“I’m an old-school guy,” Kendall said. “I’ve been around doing this stuff for a long time, and I still think of engineering and manufacturing development as a phase in which you are working on the new design.”
Asked again about the program at the Air, Space and Cyber conference, Kendall clarified that the service is still working on NGAD’s design and that he used the term EMD in “my colloquial sense.” He said the Milestone B decision, which occurs after the preliminary design review and is a prerequisite for entering the EMD phase, has not taken place.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/202...start-delivering-ngad-by-2030-can-it-be-done/

Back to the present;

May 18, 2023

The Air Force has formally begun to solicit proposals for its secretive Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, according to a service news release, with the goal of awarding a contract for the jet next year.

...
Following Kendall’s remarks (from 2022), the Defense Department Inspector General launched a review of NGAD “to determine the extent to which the Air Force demonstrated that the critical technologies used in the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter aircraft were mature enough to support entry into the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the NGAD program’s acquisition timeline,” according to a September 26 memo [PDF].

The results of that review have not been made public, though Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told Breaking Defense in a statement that “At the conclusion of the source selection the program will go to the Service Acquisition Executive (SAE) for a Milestone B decision to award the EMD contract to the successful offeror.”

https://breakingdefense.com/2023/05/the-air-forces-next-generation-fighter-will-be-selected-in-2024/

 

[RavenOne]

so where does that leave N-G especially with whats been shown subtly or teased in the video. Unless N-G have lost out to the competition and deciding to reveal slowly.

I suspect as long as the EMD-contract is not awarded sometime next year, and maybe also afterwards, those who are still candidates for the EMD-contract won´t reveal much at all (with the exception of additional concept-art) due to the (more) classified nature of the program (when compared to the ATF-program and the YF-22 & YF-23 prototypes). To me, it looks like NG is in those videos - and contrary to what LM and Boeing have done so far - going a small step further then just showing concept-art, though without unveiling a (former) demonstator/prototype 'in the flesh'. Unless in the next weeks or months LM and/or Boeing also start revealing more about the (flying) NGAD-demonstators/prototypes they´re busy with as basis for EMD-phase proposals, my guess would be NG has been eliminated as a candidate for EMD and NG therefore decided (for commercial/publicity reasons) to slowly/partially reveil what it worked on for NGAD-manned and what it´s NGAD-demonstrator looks like.
Or, what NG is showing in the videos maybe has nothing to do with the 'NGAD-platform' at all, perhaps it is/was e.g. some kind of manned testbed for the B-21´s 'unmanned escort/companion', an idea or a plan which has been moved off the table not so long ago, IIRC.

I hate to throw water on hopes and dreams, but rest assurd none of the promotional art is representative of the actual designs. They may have elements of the future design but that is about it. If I was going to hang my hat on anything, the oooppppss where a pole model was seen on a truck outside of Helendale may be more representative than any art to date. Remember we are discussing what is probably a special access program. I will more than happy to hear arguments to the contrary because I hope that I am wrong. Like all of you, I would like to believe the art has more validity than what I believe to be.

Yes and No, remember the B-21 art before the official presentation , it was like the first art of B-21 and it was a special access program too...

Keep in mind, the art released for the B-21 was driven by DoD post contract award after construction was well underway. Concerning NGAD, pretty much everything to date are "look what we are going to do" advertising releases by the contractors. With all of that said, I hope you are right, but I would bet against it.

Speaking to a buddy contact of mine at N-G,. he said that up to point of last summer, the company policy was to (even though it was blatantly obvious)

1) that no employee (regardless whether they were working on (MQ-9C Firescout, or working in admin, finance, etc ) should mention that they were building the B-21

2) If it was not for the air force pressure,(probably due to Ukraine) the rollout would have been in-house...

Cheers

 

[TomcatViP]

Should tune down the polemic around the flying test beds:

Kendall said NGAD’s origins date back to the Obama administration, when he in his previous role as the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics asked the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to study what the Air Force would need to ensure it could dominate the skies in a future war.


DARPA’s response, Kendall said, was that the service didn’t just need a lone fighter — it needed a “family of systems,” also encompassing weapons, connections to assets in space, and possibly autonomous drone wingmen.

Kendall then launched a program called the Aerospace Innovation Initiative to start to develop technologies that would form the core of a sixth-generation fighter. That effort led to the creation of experimental prototype aircraft, which Kendall called X-planes, to flesh out those technologies and prove they can work.

Advancements in model-based systems engineering and digitalization also made it possible for both government and contractor design teams to work together much more efficiently, he said.

A nice read for plenty other aspect b/w

https://www.defensenews.com/air/202...-to-avoid-f-35-mistakes-on-sixth-gen-fighter/

 

[dark sidius]

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/kendall-air-force-ngad-design/Just one .... But wich company ?....

 

[Sferrin]

If people want to believe there is already a NGAD flying then go on and believe...and prepare to be disappointed.

They don't even have an engine for it yet.

 

[F-2]

It was very sad the the EAP and Rafale A had to wait for the EJ200 and M88 to fly

 

[Sferrin]

It was very sad the the EAP and Rafale A had to wait for the EJ200 and M88 to fly

You'll note they didn't fly the YF-22/YF-23 on F100s. Or the F-15 on J79s, etc.

 

[F-2]

It was very sad the the EAP and Rafale A had to wait for the EJ200 and M88 to fly

You'll note they didn't fly the YF-22/YF-23 on F100s. Or the F-15 on J79s, etc.

And they flew the X-32 and X-35 with an F119, the point stands. Having a final engine design isn’t necessarily a show stopper for a tech demonstrator.

 

[Sferrin]

It was very sad the the EAP and Rafale A had to wait for the EJ200 and M88 to fly

You'll note they didn't fly the YF-22/YF-23 on F100s. Or the F-15 on J79s, etc.

And they flew the X-32 and X-35 with an F119, the point stands. Having a final engine design isn’t necessarily a show stopper for a tech demonstrator.

It said "F119" on the tag but that's where the similarity ended.

 

[Sundog]

Anybody who has been around here long enough knows that the aircraft that were flown were the result of a DARPA initiative started around 2014/ 2015 to rapidly fly two advanced fighter configurations that would demonstrate advanced fighter technologies. They were not meant to be production aircraft. However, the technologies they demonstrated are intended for NGAD. NGAD itself has not flown. As has been noted up thread, the engines for it aren't even ready yet.

 

[Dreamflyer]

Should tune down the polemic around the flying test beds:

Kendall said NGAD’s origins date back to the Obama administration, when he in his previous role as the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics asked the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to study what the Air Force would need to ensure it could dominate the skies in a future war.


DARPA’s response, Kendall said, was that the service didn’t just need a lone fighter — it needed a “family of systems,” also encompassing weapons, connections to assets in space, and possibly autonomous drone wingmen.

Kendall then launched a program called the Aerospace Innovation Initiative to start to develop technologies that would form the core of a sixth-generation fighter. That effort led to the creation of experimental prototype aircraft, which Kendall called X-planes, to flesh out those technologies and prove they can work.

Advancements in model-based systems engineering and digitalization also made it possible for both government and contractor design teams to work together much more efficiently, he said.

A nice read for plenty other aspect b/w

https://www.defensenews.com/air/202...-to-avoid-f-35-mistakes-on-sixth-gen-fighter/

The program for the experimental 'X-planes'/prototypes dates back to a contract-award from 2015, we´re meanwhile 8 years later.

"I started a program called the Aerospace Innovation Initiative, which was to get to the sixth-generation set of technologies we would need for future air dominance, and to build flying prototypes - X-planes, if you will—to bring those technologies forward,” he said.
That initiative resulted in a 2015 contract that produced experimental prototypes and verified new technologies. Those prototypes formed the basis of NGAD, Kendall said.
Since then, he added, “model-based system engineering and digitalization … moved forward a significant amount, so that we could integrate our design teams between the government and contractors much more effectively and efficiently.”
Both the contractors and government officials work in a common design environment, giving the Air Force an “intimate” knowledge of each competitor is doing, Kendall said. The service even has teams working with each company."

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/kendall-air-force-ngad-design/
And the first paragraph of the linked article;

"Only one company will be chosen next year as the overall designer and developer of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) crewed fighter, despite years of prototype work on different designs by several companies, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 22."


Do people really think it took 8 years (from 2015 to 2023), to come up with nothing more then "a CAT Bird" or an "X-29- or X-31-like experimental aircraft"?
(The X-31´s first flight btw, took place AFTER the first flights of the YF-22 and YF-23 prototypes/demonstrators from the ATF program.)

Even if the (one) 'full-scale flying demonstator" Will Roper talked about back in 2020 would have been nothing more then "a CAT Bird" (as someone mentioned here) or some kind of 'X-29/X-31-like experimental aircraft', AND if meanwhile there would not be any 'more representative' demonstrators or prototypes flying today for the NGAD-program (like e.g. the YF-22 & YF-23 were for the ATF-program, and/or the X-32 & X-35 were for the JSF-program ), then they´ll have to hurry up to get a at least one 'more representative' NGAD-demonstrator/prototype in the air soon (maybe preferably before the end of this year), if they are going to downselect a company and award it an EMD-contract next year, and if in the mean time they want to have 'a few months' to test-fly (in the real world) such a demonstrator/prototype.

 

[Dreamflyer]

Anybody who has been around here long enough knows that the aircraft that were flown were the result of a DARPA initiative started around 2014/ 2015 to rapidly fly two advanced fighter configurations that would demonstrate advanced fighter technologies. They were not meant to be production aircraft. However, the technologies they demonstrated are intended for NGAD. NGAD itself has not flown. As has been noted up thread, the engines for it aren't even ready yet.

Of course the true 'NGAD' itself has not yet flown, the EMD-contract is not yet awarded. Unless you regard e.g. an YF-22 or an YF-23 as an 'F-22A' (first flight 1997), or an X-32 or an X-35 as an 'F-35A', an 'F-35B' or an 'F-35C'.

 

[pedrospe]

Anybody who has been around here long enough knows that the aircraft that were flown were the result of a DARPA initiative started around 2014/ 2015 to rapidly fly two advanced fighter configurations that would demonstrate advanced fighter technologies. They were not meant to be production aircraft. However, the technologies they demonstrated are intended for NGAD. NGAD itself has not flown. As has been noted up thread, the engines for it aren't even ready yet.

Of course the true 'NGAD' itself has not yet flown, the EMD-contract is not yet awarded. Unless you regard e.g. an YF-22 or an YF-23 as an 'F-22A' (first flight 1997), or an X-32 or an X-35 as an 'F-35A', an 'F-35B' or an 'F-35C'.

If they are taking about only one company for building the NGAD, are they referring to the F-X for the Air Force, or to the FA-XX for the Navy? i always thought that the NGAD mean an new fighter to replace the F-22, and a new naval fighter to replace the F-18, so two fighters not just one, and i doubt one company can build the two.

 

[Dreamflyer]

Anybody who has been around here long enough knows that the aircraft that were flown were the result of a DARPA initiative started around 2014/ 2015 to rapidly fly two advanced fighter configurations that would demonstrate advanced fighter technologies. They were not meant to be production aircraft. However, the technologies they demonstrated are intended for NGAD. NGAD itself has not flown. As has been noted up thread, the engines for it aren't even ready yet.

Of course the true 'NGAD' itself has not yet flown, the EMD-contract is not yet awarded. Unless you regard e.g. an YF-22 or an YF-23 as an 'F-22A' (first flight 1997), or an X-32 or an X-35 as an 'F-35A', an 'F-35B' or an 'F-35C'.

If they are taking about only one company for building the NGAD, are they referring to the F-X for the Air Force, or to the FA-XX for the Navy? i always thought that the NGAD mean an new fighter to replace the F-22, and a new naval fighter to replace the F-18, so two fighters not just one, and i doubt one company can build the two.

It is only about the USAF´s NGAD manned platform/fighter, not about the US Navy´s NGAD manned platform (aka F/A-XX).
They´re stressing that (at EMD award) only one company will be selected as the main developer for that company´s design, and so there will effectively not be a 'digital century series' iterative approach in which other companies later on would be able to come up (again) with (re)new(ed) designs/proposals for an even more advanced NGAD-fighter/platform.
So, that eliminates the possibility of 2 different companies going into EMD, one with a USAF-NGAD fighter-design for the European theater and one with a USAF-NGAD fighter-design for the Pacific theater.
I´m not sure if it also excludes any possibility of the winning company developing both a 'normal/medium'-range (European-theater) variant and a long-range (Pacific) variant of it´s winning design.

 

[Dreamflyer]

If people want to believe there is already a NGAD flying then go on and believe...and prepare to be disappointed.

They don't even have an engine for it yet.

What about a possibility of (a) NGAD-demonstator(s) with 'AETP' prototype-engines, and later on, NGAD EMD test-aircraft with 'NGAP' prototype-engines and NGAD production aircraft with 'NGAP' production-engines?


'Air Force and industry officials say the AETP program was always aimed at NGAD. After testing and tweaking, the AETP engines are expected to be available for production around 2027, just in time to equip the first production-representative NGAD test aircraft.'

From this article, dated April 29 2022
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/piecing-together-the-ngad-puzzle/
Which not much later changed to:

'The Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program is demonstrating and maturing key technologies, but it won’t produce the engines that power the service’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, a key acquisition official said Aug. 11.
...
That stands in contrast to previous indications from the Air Force that the AETP engines would be the ones to power the future NGAD fighter.'

From this article, dated August 11 2022
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-looks-beyond-aetp-for-engines-to-power-ngad-fighter/

 

[Dreamflyer]

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/kendall-digital-engineering-over-hyped-20-percent/

 

[Sferrin]

IMO there's "possible" and "likely". I'm not sure what could be accomplished by building an NGAD powered by F110/135s that you couldn't do for far cheaper with a bunch of test beds. They haven't even awarded the contract to build the airframe. How would they have had one flying years ago anyway?

 

[quellish]

AD1028949, Defense Science Board study on Air Dominance, Executive Summary

 

[X-39]

Totally fictional JetZero "NGAD" fighter paired with totally fictional low poly UCAVs. Looks like they photoshopped some random fanart from Pinterest with the keywords "6th Gen Fighter" and "UCAV" and called it a day.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a43794279/jetzero-z-5-stealth-tanker-design/Wait... this one I have seen this before! It's!......

 

[Dreamflyer]

They haven't even awarded the contract to build the airframe. How would they have had one flying years ago anyway?

Because they (Roper) made it public. (But maybe he is a liar, I can´t exclude that possibility.)
And one doesn´t need an EMD-contract to build an X-plane or a 'full-scale flying demonstrator'.

YF-23 first flight: August 27, 1990
YF-22 first flight: September 29, 1990
YF-22 declared winner of the ATF fly-off: April 23, 1991
F-22 EMD-contract awarded by the USAF to the Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics team: August 8, 1991

If Roper is not a liar, the 'full-scale flying demonstrator' he talked about back in 2020 could be...
A) something like the F-15 SMTD (first flight Sept. 7, 1988) was to the ATF/F-22 program
B) something like the X-31 (first flight Oct. 11, 1990) was to the ATF/F22 program
C) something like 'Tacit Blue' was to the B-2 program
D) something like 'Have Blue' was to the F-117 program
E) something like Boeing´s 'Bird of Prey' was to ... can´t remember.
F) something like a full-grown/scale X-36 would have been to ... can´t remember.
G) something like the X-32 and X-35 were to the JSF/F-35 program

All are possible, but I hope it is D, E, F or G. And I could live with B or C.
Maybe they had in mind (a very few years ago) to move on to EMD sooner, and that got postponed when it was decided not to use the iterative 'digital centuries approach' with the airframe?
Anyway, if there going to award an EMD-contract (late) next year, I´d guess a 'representative demonstrator' (YF-22/23 or X-32/35 style) would fly before the end of the year, unless something that already came/flew earlier already proved/confirmed in the real world all they want to see/get confirmed.

 

[X-39]

They haven't even awarded the contract to build the airframe. How would they have had one flying years ago anyway?

Because they (Roper) made it public. (But maybe he is a liar, I can´t exclude that possibility.)
And one doesn´t need an EMD-contract to build an X-plane or a 'full-scale flying demonstrator'.

YF-23 first flight: August 27, 1990
YF-22 first flight: September 29, 1990
YF-22 declared winner of the ATF fly-off: April 23, 1991
F-22 EMD-contract awarded by the USAF to the Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics team: August 8, 1991

If Roper is not a liar, the 'full-scale flying demonstrator' he talked about back in 2020 could be...
A) something like the F-15 SMTD (first flight Sept. 7, 1988) was to the ATF/F-22 program
B) something like the X-31 (first flight Oct. 11, 1990) was to the ATF/F22 program
C) something like 'Tacit Blue' was to the B-2 program
D) something like 'Have Blue' was to the F-117 program
E) something like Boeing´s 'Bird of Prey' was to ... can´t remember.
F) something like a full-grown/scale X-36 would have been to ... can´t remember.
G) something like the X-32 and X-35 were to the JSF/F-35 program

All are possible, but I hope it is D, E, F or G. And I could live with B or C.
Maybe they had in mind (a very few years ago) to move on to EMD sooner, and that got postponed when it was decided not to use the iterative 'digital centuries approach' with the airframe?
Anyway, if there going to award an EMD-contract (late) next year, I´d guess a 'representative demonstrator' (YF-22/23 or X-32/35 style) would fly before the end of the year, unless something that already came/flew earlier already proved/confirmed in the real world all they want to see/get confirmed.

Looking back to make some things clear

Teams will compete to produce the X-plane prototypes, one focused on future Navy operational capabilities and the other on future Air Force operational capabilities. The X-planes will not be Engineering, Manufacturing and Development prototypes or have residual operational capabilities.

.. https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...-a-xx-f-x-ngad-pca-asfs-news.3536/post-504307

That leaves B, D, E & F as the only possibilities (Tacit Blue was related to BSAX and would have entered service as ISR plattfrom had it not been canned due to some strange reason.

 

[Dreamflyer]

Looking back to make some things clear

Teams will compete to produce the X-plane prototypes, one focused on future Navy operational capabilities and the other on future Air Force operational capabilities. The X-planes will not be Engineering, Manufacturing and Development prototypes or have residual operational capabilities.

.. https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...-a-xx-f-x-ngad-pca-asfs-news.3536/post-504307

That leaves B, D, E & F as the only possibilities (Tacit Blue was related to BSAX and would have entered service as ISR plattfrom had it not been canned due to some strange reason.

Thanks! I had completely forgotten about the most important part, silly me...
Also for info on BSAX - TC, I didn´t know about that yet. (Or anymore? )

 

[X-39]

Looking back to make some things clear

Teams will compete to produce the X-plane prototypes, one focused on future Navy operational capabilities and the other on future Air Force operational capabilities. The X-planes will not be Engineering, Manufacturing and Development prototypes or have residual operational capabilities.

.. https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...-a-xx-f-x-ngad-pca-asfs-news.3536/post-504307

That leaves B, D, E & F as the only possibilities (Tacit Blue was related to BSAX and would have entered service as ISR plattfrom had it not been canned due to some strange reason.

Thanks! I had completely forgotten about the most important part, silly me...
Also for info on BSAX - TC, I didn´t know about that yet. (Or anymore? )

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...acit-blue-aircraft-by-veteran-program-manager

 

[dark sidius]

https://executivegov.com/2023/05/frank-kendall-air-force-working-with-2-vendors-on-ngad-program/

 

[X-39]

It has Begun...
https://aviationweek.com/defense-sp...r-force-sends-out-solicitation-f-22-successor

 

[FighterJock]

Will Boeing do the unthinkable and win a fighter program? From what I have seen of the designs I think that they just might, after not winning the JSF competition I think that Boeing has a strong contender this time round.

 

[GTX]

Of course this solicitation has brought out the usual crazies - such as this posting on LinkedIn:



THIS IS TOTALLY FICTIONAL BS INCLUDED IN THIS THREAD ONLY FOR THE LAUGH OR TO MAKE YOU ROLL YOU EYES.

 

[TomS]

Of course this solicitation has brought out the usual crazies - such as this posting on LinkedIn:

View attachment 700208

THIS IS TOTALLY FICTIONAL BS INCLUDED IN THIS THREAD ONLY FOR THE LAUGH OR TO MAKE YOU ROLL YOU EYES.

We really need to stop even mentioning Stavatti. It looks like they're moving into actual fraud territory, claiming contracts and orders of non-existent aircraft and trying to solicit money for their operations.

https://www.niagara-gazette.com/new...cle_7acbb9ca-dd66-5118-abed-1683eef0f351.html

 

[Arjen]

Visual evidence of plant takeoff

 

[Sferrin]

Will Boeing do the unthinkable and win a fighter program? From what I have seen of the designs I think that they just might, after not winning the JSF competition I think that Boeing has a strong contender this time round.

They have a terrible track record for delivering either on time or on budget as of late. Apparently, that kind of thing played a part in the YF-23 losing.

 

[Sferrin]

Of course this solicitation has brought out the usual crazies - such as this posting on LinkedIn:

View attachment 700208

THIS IS TOTALLY FICTIONAL BS INCLUDED IN THIS THREAD ONLY FOR THE LAUGH OR TO MAKE YOU ROLL YOU EYES.

Apprently these guys are going to skip the 6th gen and go right for the 7th & 8th gen:

http://www.ioaircraft.com/hypersonic/

 

[X-39]

Will Boeing do the unthinkable and win a fighter program? From what I have seen of the designs I think that they just might, after not winning the JSF competition I think that Boeing has a strong contender this time round.

Well... when you and of one your competitors are building/already built brand new production facilities while the 3rd(NG) is conspicuous by its absence, points as to which companies are most likely to get the EMD contract. And... maybe Boeing will win this time. Sadly, it looks like Northrop got screwed again, plus, they will be very busy with the B-21. I'm looking forward to see how things will develop from now, i expect it will be a fierce and gruesome battle, with companies fighting with every tooth and nail trying to out-do and upper hand each other.
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-skunk-works-plant-to-build-advanced-fighters-other-projects/https://aviationweek.com/defense-sp...-includes-four-advanced-production-facilitieshttps://aviationweek.com/defense-sp...neration-aircraft-after-fa-18-production-endshttps://insidedefense.com/insider/northrop-grumman-positioned-competitor-ngad-ceo-says

 

[Forest Green]

Apprently these guys are going to skip the 6th gen and go right for the 7th & 8th gen:

http://www.ioaircraft.com/hypersonic/

Mach 9-14 VTOL???

 

[FighterJock]

How about Mach 20?

 

[MihoshiK]

How about Mach 20?

Ludicrous speed! Let's go plaid!

 

[Colonial-Marine]

THIS IS TOTALLY FICTIONAL BS INCLUDED IN THIS THREAD ONLY FOR THE LAUGH OR TO MAKE YOU ROLL YOU EYES.

"Hey CGI department, I need you to make a futuristic looking fighter aircraft. What? No, the design doesn't have to make any sense, just make it look future-ry, like something from Star Wars."

 

[X-39]

https://aviationweek.com/podcasts/check-6/podcast-race-replace-f-22-raptor-beginsHighlights IMO:

"..It was really clear that the Air Force is trying to kinda reinvent the fighter with NGAD. I mean, in a way, each new fighter is a reinvention of the old[...] For the first time since the Cold War ended they're not trying to integrate the ability to complete the kill chain on a single platform"

Well, of course.

"...I think there might have been something like an X-Plane flyoff, at least two of these companies already, if they're at this stage, just like we saw on F-35 and just like we saw on F-22..."

Indeed, probably the unveiling of the demonstrators already happened in private, inside a hangar within a hangar.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzD4KyB4DpM&t=1s&pp=ugMICgJlcxABGAHKBQ94LTM1IHVudmVpbGxpbmc%3D

"In the mid 10s you saw all of the defense companies show renderings of next generation fighter, before that got locked down and they weren't allowed to do that anymore. All showing tailless supersonic planforms. AFRL also invested significantly on[...] the ESAV program. Tailless and supersonic at the same time"

Wat...

 

[Josh_TN]

Will Boeing do the unthinkable and win a fighter program? From what I have seen of the designs I think that they just might, after not winning the JSF competition I think that Boeing has a strong contender this time round.

Boeing has been tanking one program after another for the US, on top of its own flagship projects. I hope they are not involved.

 

[La-Fuente Technologies]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/mi...ilding-one-ngad-sixth-generation-fighter-jet/

 

[Brett Davidson]

Apprently these guys are going to skip the 6th gen and go right for the 7th & 8th gen:

http://www.ioaircraft.com/hypersonic/

Mach 9-14 VTOL???

No Infinite Improbability Drive? I'm disappointed.