Ten Features Drive Design Of The Air Force’s NGAD Aircraft

On May 18, the US Air Force issued a classified solicitation to industry requesting proposals for its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft. The aircraft is described by service officials as a successor to the twin-engine F-22 fighter, the first stealthy air-superiority aircraft to enter the joint force.

The press release disclosing the solicitation said little about the features of the aircraft the Air Force is seeking, stating that “further information on the NGAD Platform’s technical and programmatic details are classified to protect operational and technological advantages.”

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who presided over the initial conceptualization of the aircraft in 2016 when he headed the Pentagon’s acquisition organization, says the NGAD fighter (then called Penetrating Counter-Air) will provide a generational leap in combat capabilities.

Kendall is also signaling it will be expensive, costing hundreds of millions of dollars per plane, in part because the Air Force plans to buy a relatively small fleet of the fighters—perhaps 200, perhaps more. But service officials describe it as pivotal to preserving air dominance through mid-century, especially in areas near China.

There has been a good deal of speculation about the new aircraft, whose builder will likely be selected next year. The public isn’t likely to know much until it joins the operational force as part of a family of futuristic counter-air systems. Even less is known about a companion effort the Navy is pursuing under the same name.

However, you don’t need clearances to figure out the most important features of NGAD, because the military services have been talking about future warfighting requirements for a long time. Based on those public discussions, here are ten features likely to drive design of the Air Force’s next-gen air dominance fighter.

Wideband stealth. Fifth-generation tactical aircraft typically concentrate their low-observable features in the wavelengths most likely to be used for targeting by radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles. NGAD will further refine stealth in those wavelengths while also reducing aircraft signatures in other wavelengths that future adversaries might try to exploit.

Enhanced propulsion. The twin engines on the NGAD fighter will provide greater thrust and fuel efficiency than today’s propulsion systems while minimizing heat emissions that might reveal an aircraft’s presence. Last August, the Air Force awarded contracts to three airframe integrators and two engine makers with the goal of “enabling propulsion systems for future air dominance platforms.”

Composite materials. NGAD will continue the secular trend away from using metal in aircraft structures, emphasizing lightweight composites that provide greater strength. Extensive use of these advanced materials will permit a larger fraction of aircraft weight to be dedicated to payloads.

Increased endurance. NGAD’s twin-engine design, incorporating high-efficiency engines and lightweight materials, will enable the fighter to perform more effectively in the vast distances of the Western Pacific. Its unrefueled range will far exceed that of fifth-gen fighters, while enabling greater flexibility in how aircraft operate when traversing contested airspace.

Diverse weaponry. NGAD will host a panoply of advanced weapons for defeating hostile aircraft and surface targets. Some of the weapons will be kinetic and others will be non-kinetic, including the use of the plane’s electronic-warfare system to direct lethal energy against hostile targets at the speed of light.

Agile electronics. NGAD’s electronic warfare suite for detecting, identifying and defeating threats will provide agile coverage of all relevant wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum. It will be fully integrated with the aircraft’s other electronic systems to deliver comprehensive situational awareness using powerful processors and advanced software.

Sensor fusion. NGAD’s onboard sensors, including its electronically-steered pulse radar, will provide the pilot with a detailed picture of the flight environment over great distances, merging diverse indications into easily interpreted displays. Pilot responses to fused information will be largely automated, reducing reaction times through the application of sophisticated algorithms.

Offboard support. Although each NGAD aircraft will be capable of operating autonomously, it will be securely networked with other friendly aircraft that complement its onboard capabilities. In addition, the aircraft will able to manage multiple drones called Collaborative Combat Aircraft that will bolster the aircraft’s lethality and survivability when dealing with adversary forces.

Open architecture. Every feature of the NGAD aircraft’s design will be continuously adaptable to emerging requirements based on technology and standards that the government controls. The design will avoid use of proprietary hardware and software to prevent over-reliance on specific suppliers and allow maximum flexibility in addressing new dangers.

Digital engineering. All of the above design characteristics will be grounded in a digital environment that enables engineers, assemblers, operators and maintainers to readily understand NGAD’s technical features and limitations. Digital engineering will accelerate the pace at which the aircraft is developed and produced, while facilitating life-cycle support at a much-reduced cost through processes that anticipate requirements in advance of need.

You don’t have to be an aerospace engineer like Secretary Kendall to predict that Next Generation Air Dominance will include these design features. They are already present to one degree or another in existing fifth-generation tactical aircraft. However, NGAD will advance the state of the art far beyond what any adversary country is capable of matching, consistent with keeping America’s Air Force well ahead of potential challengers.

Several companies pursuing roles on the NGAD aircraft contribute to my think tank.