https://aviationweek.com/themes/custom/particle/dist/app-drupal/assets/awn-logo.svg
Skip to main content
  • Market Sector
    • Aerospace
    • Air Transport
    • MRO
    • Defense and Space
    • Business Aviation
  • Markets
    • Aerospace
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Connected Aerospace
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Manufacturing & Supply Chain
      • Advanced Air Mobility
      • Commercial Space
      • Sustainability
    • Air Transport
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports & Routes
      • Airlines & Lessors
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
    • MRO
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Supply Chain
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Workforce & Training
      • Sustainability
    • Defense and Space
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Sensors & Electronic Warfare
      • Missile Defense & Weapons
      • Supply Chain
      • Budget, Policy & Operations
      • Space
      • Sustainability
    • Business Aviation
      • Aircraft & Propulsion
      • Interiors & Connectivity
      • Airports, FBOs & Suppliers
      • Flight Deck
      • Safety, Ops & Regulation
      • Maintenance & Training
      • Sustainability
  • Marketplace
  • Services
    • Services
      • Advertising
      • Marketing Services
      • Fleet, Data & APIs
      • Research & Consulting
      • Network and Route Planning
      • Marketplace
  • Store
    • Market Sector

      • Aerospace
      • Air Transport
      • MRO
      • Defense and Space
      • Business Aviation
    • Type View All Products
      • Intelligence Bundles
        • AWIN - Premium
        • AWIN - Aerospace and Defense
        • AWIN - Business Aviation
        • AWIN - Commercial Aviation
      • Market Briefings
        • Advanced Air Mobility Report - NEW!
        • Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
        • Aviation Daily
        • SpeedNews
        • The Weekly of Business Aviation
      • Directories
        • Air Charter Guide
        • Aviation Week Marketplace
        • Route Exchange
        • The Engine Yearbook
      • Data Services
        • AC-U-KWIK
        • Aircraft Bluebook
        • Airportdata.com
        • Airport Strategy and Marketing (ASM)
        • CAPA – Centre for Aviation
        • Fleet Discovery Civil
        • Fleet Discovery Military
        • Fleet & MRO Forecast
        • MRO Prospector
      • Publications
        • Air Transport World
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology
        • Aviation Week & Space Technology - Inside MRO
        • Business & Commercial Aviation
        • CAPA - Airline Leader
        • Routes magazine
        • ShowNews
      • Resources
        • Downloadable Reports
  • Events
    • Recent webinars
    • Events View All Events
      • MRO
        • MRO Americas
        • MRO Asia
        • MRO Australasia
        • MRO Baltics & Eastern Europe Region
        • MRO Europe
        • MRO Latin America
        • MRO Middle East
        • Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium (MALMS)
        • Asia Aerospace Leadership Forum & MRO Asia-Pacific Awards
      • Commercial Aviation/A&D
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions
        • A&D Programs
        • A&D Manufacturing
        • A&D Raw Materials
        • A&D SupplyChain
        • A&D SupplyChain Europe
        • Advanced Air Mobility
        • Aero-Engines Americas
        • Aero-Engines Europe
        • Aero-Engines Asia-Pacific
        • Aerospace IT
        • Engine Leasing Trading & Finance Europe
        • Engine Leasing, Trading & Finance Americas
      • Air Transport
        • CAPA Live
        • Routes Americas
        • Routes Europe
        • Routes World
        • ATW Airline Awards
        • CAPA Airline Leader Summit
        • CAPA Americas Aviation & LCCs Summit
        • CAPA Latin America Aviation & LCCs Summit
        • CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit
        • CTC Asia Corporate Travel Summit & Sustainability Expo
        • CAPA World Aviation Outlook Summit
        • GAD Americas
        • GAD World
      • Aerospace and Defense
        • A&D Mergers and Acquisitions Conference (ADMA)
        • A&D Manufacturing Conference
        • Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference (RMC)
        • A&D Programs
      • Awards
        • Aviation Week 20 Twenties
        • Aviation Week Laureate Awards
        • Program Excellence Awards and Banquet
        • CAPA Asia Aviation Summit & Awards for Excellence
  • About
    • About Aviation Week Network
      • Our Story
      • Content and Data Team
      • Aviation Week & Space Technology 100-Year
    • Contact Us
      • Subscriber Services
      • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
      • Content Sales
      • Events
      • PR & Communications
      • Content Licensing and Reprints
      • FAQ
  • Log In
  • Register
  • My Account
    • Profile
    • Sign Out
  • AWIN Access
  • My cart
    Back to
  1. Defense and Space

Share

Next-gen Combat Aircraft Development Gains Momentum

Graham Warwick January 23, 2019

FCAS (UK)

UK Defense Ministry

The UK launched its £2 billion ($2.5 billion) Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative in 2018. Team Tempest—the UK Defense Ministry, Royal Air Force, BAE Systems, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and Leonardo—is also in talks with Sweden and Saab about joining the program. The team was to present its strategic outline business case at the end of 2018. The FCAS main-gate procurement decision is set for 2025 and service entry targeted for 2035.  

NGAD (U.S.)

U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force and Navy are slated to complete separate analyses of alternatives in fiscal 2019. They are studying manned, unmanned and optionally manned options. The Air Force has backed away from talking about a Penetrating Counter Air platform, now calling its requirement the Air Superiority Family of Systems. The Navy says NGAD for Next Generation Air Defense, or F/A-XX, will replace the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G in the mid-2030s.

Future Fighter (Japan)

ATLA

Japan’s Future Fighter, a heavy twin-engine combat aircraft, is intended to replace its Mitsubishi F-2s. Tokyo is weighing whether to develop the fighter entirely indigenously or with an international partner. A decision is expected in 2019. The fighter is scheduled to fly in 2025 and enter service in 2030. Lockheed Martin is reportedly offering an F-22 variant with a big wing, Japanese avionics and engines based on IHI’s 33,000-lb.-thrust XF9-1 demonstrator.

FCAS (France/Germany)

Dassault

Spain plans to join the Future Combat Air System being developed by France and Germany. Concept and architecture studies are scheduled to begin in early 2019. Airbus and Dassault are working on the twin-engine Next-Generation Fighter, which is stealthy, supersonic, maneuverable and manned, and powered by a Safran/MTU 30,000-lb.-thrust-class variable-cycle engine. The demonstrator is planned to fly in 2025-26, and the FCAS would enter service in 2040.

TF-X (Turkey)

Turkish Aerospace Industries

Turkish Aerospace Industries is developing the twin-engine, 60,000-lb.-class TF-X to replace its F-16s. Prototypes will reportedly be powered by General Electric F110s, so they can still meet the schedule to fly in 2023. Turkey has meanwhile launched development of a domestic engine with national consortium TR Motor. Service entry is planned after 2030.

KF-X (South Korea)

Korea Aerospace Industries

Korea Aerospace Industries is developing the KF-X to replace F-4s and F-5s. The fighter will have a maximum takeoff weight of 56,000 lb. and be powered by two 22,000-lb.-thrust General Electric F414s. KF-X will carry European Meteor and IRIS-T air-to-air missiles. The KF-X is planned to fly in 2022 and enter service in 2026. Indonesia is a partner on the program, but it is renegotiating how to pay for its share of the cost.

 
Previous
Next

Whether it is the Future Air Combat System (FCAS), Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) or simply Future Fighter, development of the next generation of combat aircraft is gaining momentum around the world, aiming for fielding in the 2030s and beyond.

 
Graham Warwick

Graham leads Aviation Week's coverage of technology, focusing on engineering and technology across the aerospace industry, with a special focus on identifying technologies of strategic importance to aviation, aerospace and defense.

Aviation Week Intelligence Network
Monitor the market and connect your business to the people, programs and proprietary data driving the Aerospace & Defense market - only available with AWIN.

ASD_AWIN_thumbnail_270

Stay Connected.
Stay Informed
Grow Your Business.

Learn How

Follow us on

Markets

  • Aerospace
  • Air Transport
  • MRO
  • Defense and Space
  • Business Aviation

Products

  • AWIN Intelligence Bundles
  • Market Briefings
  • Publications
  • Data Services
  • Directories
  • Resources

Contact Us

  • Subscriber Services
  • Advertising, Marketing Services & List Rentals
  • Content Sales
  • Events
  • PR & Communications
  • Content Licensing and Reprints
  • FAQ

Other Resources

  • Aviation Week Marketplace
  • Knowledge Center
  • Newsletters
  • ShowNews
  • Advertising - Media Kits
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC.
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use