Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD)

What's the latest on plans for next-generation U.S. Air Force platforms in the age of DOGE? Editors share what they've been hearing.

Ahead of the first flights of Anduril and General Atomics prototypes, the Air Force has yet to clarify requirements for future uncrewed systems.

The House on March 11 approved a CR to keep the government funded through Sept. 30.

Readers write about next-generation fighters, future widebodies and the feasibility of hydrogen propulsion in aviation.

The comments come as a decision on how to proceed with the NGAD penetrating counter air fighter is on hold.

The Air Force no longer deems a stealthy successor to the Boeing KC-46 and KC-135 necessary for its modernization strategy.

The move keeps the XA103 on track to move into ground testing of a physical prototype by the end of the decade.

The company completed the detailed design review (DDR) for the XA102, developed for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program.

New U.S. Air Force leadership must decide the shape of the next generation of air superiority technology, with the stakes high for industry and U.S. airpower.

Survivability and increased standoff head the list of priorities for long-term Air Force modernization.

Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer turned Fox News host, has turned into one of the more controversial nominations by Trump ahead of next week’s inauguration.

The leader of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force in 25 years will have some new tools.

A key theme throughout the 22-page report is that the Air Force is increasingly vulnerable to long-range precision attack.

Service Secretary Frank Kendall in July 2024 paused the development of the Next Generation Air Dominance’s penetrating counter air fighter.

Quantum entanglement is perhaps a fitting metaphor for the NGAD Platform.

Indecision clouds the outlook for the Navy’s budget and the Air Force’s requirements for new crewed and autonomous tactical fighters.

Kendall announced in July that the service had paused NGAD ahead of an imminent contract award.

The Joint Program Office (JPO) and Lockheed Martin reached a handshake agreement in November for F-35 production lots 18 and 19.

Steve Parker says the manufacturer needs to focus on execution amid cost overruns and address the root causes of issues on production lines.

Milestones loom in the coming months for future refueler and airlifter programs amid funding uncertainty.

The Aviation Week Intelligence Network is tracking $193 billion in open opportunities for military aircraft over the next decade.

The U.S. Air Force and Navy should more closely collaborate on variants of their next-generation fighters instead of further splitting apart as development continues, an influential senator argues.

The U.S. Air Force will postpone decisions about the future of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program until beyond year-end.

If you want to know what’s in store for the U.S. Defense Department for the second Trump administration, keep an eye out for the Plum Book.

Miller comes from Northrop Grumman, where he was the vice president for engineering in its aeronautics sector for a year.