The Pentagon Keeps Its New Multibillion Dollar Plane A Secret

Northrop Grumman's concept image for the sixth-generation fighter jet. (via Northrop Grumman)  

Responsible Statecraft: The Pentagon wants to keep this new multibillion dollar plane a secret  

The Air Force just awarded major contracts for a fighter that is supposed to achieve ‘air dominance.’ Why can’t the public see what it is? 

 Late last week, the Air Force awarded five identical contracts, each valued at nearly $1 billion. The press release was light on details, but it gave some of the first concrete information about the service’s largest classified initiative: the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which is expected to deliver the Pentagon’s first sixth-generation fighter jet. 

The agreements will more than double the $4.2 billion that Congress has allocated for the program since 2015. And investment in the initiative is expected to grow further as prototype development continues, with the Air Force estimating that the program will cost $11.7 billion from 2024 to 2027. 

As costs rise, experts say the NGAD’s secretive nature raises serious concerns about the public’s ability to exercise oversight of the program.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I am sure more questions are going to be raised as the budget for this secret fighter jet continues to grow.

Air Force Is Worried That The U.S Will Not Field A Sixth-Generation Future Fighter In Time To Face China (Update)

This rendering of a Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft, by Lockheed Martin, shows a tailless stealthy future fighter. (Lockheed Martin) 

National Interest: A Stealth 6th Generation Fighter Gap? The U.S. Air Force Is Worried. 

An Air Force general said last month that he’s worried the U.S won’t field a sixth-generation future fighter as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance program, in time for a theoretical confrontation with China.

There’s been a lot of discussion in the media, at least in recent weeks, about the possibility of the United States eventually going to war with China. 

China’s recent “Two Sessions” conference looked at the ways China is looking to compete with the United States, while the Navy Admiral Philip S. Davidson, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned in Congressional testimony that is China is emboldened when it comes to military action. Also, a popular book was recently published, looking at the potential for a fictitious war, in 2034, between the United States and China. 

Meanwhile, an Air Force general said last month that he’s worried the U.S won’t field a sixth-generation future fighter as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance program, in time for a theoretical confrontation with China. 

The comments came from Air Combat Command head Gen. Mark Kelly, in a February 26 roundup with reporters, as reported by Defense News. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: For more information go here .... Air Force general worried US won’t field sixth-gen fighter in time to beat China (Defense News).

The U.S. Air Force's Secret New Fighter Jet Will Have An AI-Copilot

Popular Mechanics: The Air Force’s Secret New Fighter Jet Will Come With an R2-D2 

Not a trashcan-shaped droid, but something much cooler. 

 * Air Force pilots in the not-so-distant future could fly and fight together like Luke Skywalker and R2-D2. 

 * One of the Air Force’s top officials is confident the service’s secret new fighter jet will have an artificial intelligence copilot.

 * The AI could take over key tasks, flying and fighting the plane, to prevent the human pilot from being overwhelmed. 

The U.S. Air Force's secret new fighter jet, which it designed, built, and tested in just one year, will feature some kind of artificial intelligence copilot—a trusted computer algorithm that human pilots can rely on to assume critical tasks in the air. 

That's according to Will Roper, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, who in September shocked the world when he revealed the surprise existence of the service's new, mysterious Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This explains why the US Air Force wants to enlist programmers. They need these specialists to develop and manage these platforms. 

How Did The U.S. Air Force Build A 6th-gen Stealth Fighter 10 Years Earlier Than Expected?

The Air Force is prototyping what its future stealth fighter jets will look like. (Lockheed Martin) (Lockheed Martin) 

FOX News: Why an Air Force 6th-gen stealth fighter is here almost 10 years early 

The early thinking for the Air Force Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program had been that an actual platform would not likely emerge until 2030 America’s mysterious sixth-generation stealth fighter has taken to the skies, as much as five to 10 years before it may have been anticipated. 

The early conceptual thinking for the Air Force Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, now in development for several years, had been that an actual platform would not likely emerge until 2030. 

How could this have happened? 

One clear and lesser-known reality related to this can be found through the fast-evolving process of digital engineering wherein actual prototype models, design renderings and technology specifics can be replicated, tested and analyzed before there is any “bending of metal.” 

This process, clearly and simply put, massively helped bring the sixth-generation stealth fighter to life. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: They can build a 6th-gen Stealth Fighter because of this .... digital engineering wherein actual prototype models, design renderings and technology specifics can be replicated, tested and analyzed before there is any “bending of metal.”

A Closer Look At The U.S. Air Force's Secret Next Gen Air Dominance Demonstrator

A tailless, fast, long-range, and very stealth manned penetrator has been talked about in recent years as a new 'fighter,' especially under the Penetrating Counter-Air and other now-defunct initiatives. The reality is that such an aircraft could be part of a much larger family of platforms, but unmanned technologies and less 'exquisite,' but more diverse and plentiful platforms with distributed capabilities are likely to dominate air wars of the future. Lockheed Martin

Warzone/The Drive: The Air Force's Secret Next Gen Air Dominance Demonstrator Isn't What You Think It Is

Like the future of air combat in general, there are lots of misconceptions about the secret technology demonstrator and the program it belongs to.

There has been a ton of press about a Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) demonstrator of some type having already been designed and flown even as the program is still supposedly in its conceptual stages. While this sounds exciting, and it is, I think there may be a chasm between reality and what is being circulated even days after the news initially hit. Most importantly, it is very unlikely that this new 'demonstrator' is a 'fighter,' at least as we would traditionally define it.

Let's start with where this all came from. The news originated from an address from the Air Force's acquisition chief, Will Roper, to the Air Force Association's main annual symposium, this year's iteration being virtual, which was remarkably on-brand for his presentation. In it, he talked about ushering in a new era where rapid design and experimentation of new aircraft and air combat concepts, including the 'manufacturing' and 'flight testing' of them will occur primarily in the digital realm.

Read more ....

Update: The Nearly Decade-long Story That Led To NGAD Flight Demonstrator (Aviation Week)

WNU Editor: All of these technologies are still years away form being manufactured and deployed. But it is an indication on where the US Air Force wants to go.

Who Is Secretly Building The US Air Force's Newest Stealth Fighter?

A Boeing T-7A Red Hawk jet on a test flight. Boeing

Defense One: Who is Secretly Building the USAF’s New Fighter?

Officials are mum, so here’s a roundup of clues.

Among the big questions surrounding the secret U.S. Air Force fighter-jet demonstrator revealed this week is: who built it?

Will Roper, the head of Air Force acquisition, declined to say much about the new plane, other than it has actually flown, that some of the plane’s systems have been flight-tested, and that it was designed and built using digital engineering.

So let’s look at some clues, starting with a likely predecessor to the Next Generation Air Dominance project that produced the new demonstrator.

In January 2015, Frank Kendall, then defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told the House Armed Services Committee about a DARPA-led project that was developing new planes and engine technology for the Air Force and Navy.

“The intent is to develop prototypes for the next generation of air-dominance platforms — X-plane programs, if you will," Kendall said.

Dubbed the Aerospace Innovation Initiative, the project aimed to “develop the technologies and address the risks associated with the air dominance platforms that will follow the F-35, as well as other advanced aeronautical challenges.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Its the usual suspects .... Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. The plane's engine was built by either GE or Raytheon Technologies' Pratt & Whitney.

German Government Approves Funds For A New Fighter Jet

DW: Bundestag approves funds for German-French fighter jet

Germany has voted to pay €77 million for the first prototypes of a "new generation fighter" for European armed forces. The country's defense minister has called it a concrete step towards European security.

Bundestag lawmakers approved on Wednesday the initial funds for a transnational project with France to create a new fighter jet and develop a program aimed at bringing together European military forces.

Representatives in German parliament's lower chamber signed-off on loans worth €77 million ($83 million) to build the first sets of the "new generation fighter." France is expected to contribute the same amount.

The research initiative forms an important part of Germany's joint Future Combat Air System (FCAS) with Spain and is part of a wider plan to draw back on the European Union's long dependency on US aircraft, drones and satellites.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Germans and French have high hopes for this future fighter .... What If the EU Got a Franco-German Stealth Fighter Superior to the F-35? (National Interest).

The US Air Force Is Already Prototyping A New Sixth Generation Stealth Fighter

Image: Screenshot. U.S. Air Force

National Interest: Yes, Prototyping for the Air Force's New Sixth Generation Stealth Fighter Has Already Begun

Wait, already?

(Washington, D.C.) Drone fighter jets, hypersonic attack planes, artificial intelligence, lasers, electronic warfare and sensors woven into the fuselage of an aircraft - are all areas of current technological exploration for the Air Force as it begins early prototyping for a new, 6th-Generation fighter jet to emerge in the 2030s and 2040s.

While the initiative, called Next Generation Air Dominance(NGAD), has been largely conceptual for years, Air Force officials say current “prototyping” and “demonstrations” are informing which technologies the service will invest in for the future.

“We have completed an analysis of alternatives and our acquisition team is working on the requirements. We are pretty deep into experimenting with hardware and software technologies that will help us control and exploit air power into the future,” Gen. James Holmes, Commander, Air Combat Command, told reporters at the Association of the Air Force Air, Space and Cyber Conference.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: With advances in AI platforms and software, you have to wonder if this fighter jet have pilots or a set-up where the pilot will work with an AI platform.

The U.S. Air Force Has A Plan To Field A New Fighter Jet In 5 Years

Concept art released by the the Air Force Research Lab in 2018 shows a potential next-generation fighter concept, or F-X. (Air Force Research Laboratory)

Defense News: The US Air Force’s radical plan for a future fighter could field a jet in 5 years

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is preparing to radically alter the acquisition strategy for its next generation of fighter jets, with a new plan that could require industry to design, develop and produce a new fighter in five years or less.

On Oct. 1, the service will officially reshape its next-generation fighter program, known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, Will Roper, the Air Force’s acquisition executive, said during an exclusive interview with Defense News.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: When it comes to Pentagon planning and expectations, we should always be skeptical.

The Next U.S. Navy Fighter Will Be Developed Without The Air Force

Popular Mechanics: After the F-35, the Navy Will Make Its Next Fighter Without the Air Force

The service has decided its fighter requirements are different than the Air Force’s.

The U.S. Navy’s next fighter will be designed exclusively for naval service and without cooperation that will result in variants for other services. The unnamed fighter, tentatively named F/A-XX, will replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter on the decks of navy carriers sometime in the 2030s.

Flightglobal, reporting from the Navy League Sea-Air-Space conference in National Harbor, Maryland, states the navy has decided it has different priorities than the U.S. Air Force. Angie Knappenberger, USN deputy director of air warfare, told reporters that the Navy does not plan on using the fighter to penetrate enemy airspace, a key requirement for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) jet.

Read more ....

Update: Future US Navy fighter will not be joint effort with USAF (Flight Global)

WNU Editor: I guess the joint Navy - Air Force effort to develop and produce the F-35 did not work out as expected, and there is no desire to do it again for another fighter.

China Wants A 6th-Generation Fighter To Beat The U.S.

A J-20 fighter performs at the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 11, 2018. The air show closed on Sunday. Photo: Xinhua

Business Insider: China's eyeing a 6th-generation fighter to beat the US — its 5th-gen fighters probably don't stand a chance in a fight

* China is reportedly developing a sixth-generation fighter jet that could be seen as early as 2035, if not sooner, the Global Times reported Monday.
* China already has a fifth-generation fighter — the J-20 stealth fighter, but is believed to be incapable of competing against comparable American aircraft like the F-22 Raptor.
* "China will not fall behind in the global race toward sixth-generation fighter jets," Chinese media said Monday.
* The US, along with several other countries, is also developing a sixth-generation fighter.

China is locked in an intensifying arms race with the US, and it's not backing down, Chinese media warned Monday.

China is developing a sixth-generation fighter that could be seen as early as 2035, if not sooner, the Global Times reported Monday, citing a recent Chinese media interview with Wang Haifeng, a chief architect at Chengdu Aircraft Research and Design Institute who was involved in the development of the J-20 stealth fighter.

Read more ....

Update: China eyes building next-generation fighter jets by 2035 (Global Times)

WNU Editor: A recognition by the Chinese that they need to up their game when it comes to fighter aircraft.

Europe Want their Own 6th Generation Fighter Jet

Sebastien Roblin, National Interest: Forget the F-22 or Su-57: Europe Wants a Deadly 6th Generation Stealth Fighter

But which nations will help build it?

On December 3, the Spanish Ministry of Defense announced its desire to join the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project to build a sixth-generation stealth fighter and an accompanying drone “wingman.” The initial Spanish buy-in is projected to amount to just twenty-five million euros over two years, but the document makes clear Madrid wants its industry to have a role in producing the next-generation fighters as well as procuring them to replace its older EF-18A Hornet fighters.

Read more ....

WNU editor: Germany and France have taken the first steps to develop this fighter .... France and Germany to launch first contracts on future combat jets (Reuters). Germany has trouble reaching its own modest defence budget goals, how can they afford the tens of billions in developing a new fighter? .... Germany’s plan to boost defense spending hits a snag (Defense News).

Budget Watchdog Says That The Next-Generation Fighter Jet For The U.S. Air Force Will Cost $300 Million (In 2018 Dollars)

Concept art from the Air Force Research Lab shows a potential next-generation fighter concept, or F-X. (Air Force Research Laboratory)

Defense News: Budget watchdog warns this fighter could cost three times that of the F-35

WASHINGTON — A next-generation air superiority jet for the U.S. Air Force, known by the service as Penetrating Counter Air, could cost about $300 million in 2018 dollars per plane, the Congressional Budget Office states in a new study.

At that price, PCA would be more than three times that of the average F-35A jet, which is set at about $94 million to capture both the expense of early production lots and the decline in cost as the production rate increases, according the report, which predicts the cost of replacing the Air Force’s aircraft inventory from now until 2050.

This sum, while not an official cost estimate from the Pentagon, represents the first time a government entity has weighed in on the potential price tag for PCA.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Only $300 million per fighter jet?

Is This Russia's 6th-Generation Fighter Jet?

Zero Hedge: Russia "Accidentally" Exposes Model Of Hypersonic 6th-Generation Fighter Jet

Russia’s newest Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has certainly made numerous headlines as a direct challenger to America's F-22 and or F-35 combat planes. Now, it seems Russia is outlining its path to develop a sixth-generation fighter, according to media reports.

The new combat jets will be hypersonic; the first flight is scheduled for the mid-2020s. This was reported in June 2016 by TASS, citing the head of the Directorate of military aircraft programs, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Vladimir Mikhailov. “The [prototype] rise into the air, as we plan, no later than two or three years after 2020”, said Mikhailov. UAC plans to fly a hypersonic sixth-generation fighter before 2025. Mikhailov stated the program for the jet is currently underway, including engineering design.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I cannot tell much from the above picture.

The Next Gen Fighter?

The WarDrive/The Drive: No, That YF-23 Like Rendering Of The Skunk Works' Next Gen Fighter Isn't New

The concept may be ironic, but it isn't new.

There's lots of hype going around regarding Lockheed Skunk Works' most recent promotional video that seems to have been released to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the United States Air Force. The commotion surrounds what some say appears to be a 6th generation fighter concept—one that looks a hell of a lot like Northrop's passed over YF-23 Black Widow Advanced Tactical Fighter. The thing is that this isn't a new concept at all, it first appeared in video nearly four years ago in another Skunk Works sizzle reel and I did a little post on it then noting its likeness to the YF-23. The message couldn't have been stranger: "the future of air dominance is a refreshed 25 year old competitor's design!"

Read more ....

WNU Editor: What is old is new again.

Lockheed's Skunk Works Is Working On New Technology For The 6th-Generation Fighter

A Lockheed illustration of a notional future fighter depicts a sleek, low-profile design. (Lockheed Martin)

Investors Business Daily: What Lockheed's Secretive Skunk Works Unit Sees For The 6th-Gen. Fighter

PALMDALE, Calif. — Lockheed Martin's (LMT) Skunk Works division, whose legendary history includes the SR-71 spy plane, F-117 stealth fighter and today's F-35, is working on new technology to ensure that U.S. aircraft stay ahead of adversaries.

While production on the F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, is just starting to ramp up, the Pentagon is already looking at a sixth-generation fighter.

In an interview with IBD, Rob Weiss, Lockheed's executive vice president for Advanced Development Programs and Skunk Works chief, said a new fighter "hinges around improving lethality, survivability and mission effectiveness."

Read more ....

WNU editor: A lot of  "pie in the sky" stuff here. Will something come out of this .... probably .... it is after-all the "Skunk Works". The question is .... how much will it cost.

Concepts For A 6th Generation Fighter To Replace The F-35 Are Being Outlined

Northrop Grumman

Scout Warrior: Navy, Air Force Are Exploring Concepts for a Next-Generation 6th Generation Fighter to Come After the F-35

The Pentagon's 6th Generation Fighter may be stealthy and will likely have next-generation computers, electronic warfare technology, speed, weapons and sensors

Fighter jets in 20-years may likely contain the next-generation of stealth technoology, electronic warfare, sophisticated computer processing and algorithms, increased autonomy, hypersonic weapons and so-called "smart-skins" where sensors are built into the side of the aircraft itself.

Some of these characteristics may have been on display more than a year ago when Northrop Grumman's SuperBowl AD revealed a flashy first look at its rendering of a new 6th-generation fighter jet.

Northrop is one of a number of major defense industry manufacturers who will bid for a contract to build the new plane - when the time is right. While there are not many details available on this work, it is safe to assume Northrop is advancing concepts, technology and early design work toward this end. Boeing is also in the early phases of development of a 6th-gen design, according to a report in Defense News.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is going to be 20 - 30 years before we see one of these fighter jets flying (maybe).

The U.S. Air Force Wants A 6th-Generation Fighter

The Boeing F/A-XX concept design as of 2013. Wikipedia

National Defense: Air Force Leader Wants More Aggressive Push for ‘Sixth-Gen’ Capabilities

The Air Force needs to more aggressively pursue a next-generation platform capable of penetrating deep into hostile airspace, the head of Air Combat Command said Feb. 24.

The primary focus now is on ramping up production of the F-35A joint strike fighter, a fifth-generation aircraft with stealth features and cutting-edge sensors. But the Air Force is already thinking about acquiring a sixth-generation “penetrating counter-air” capability, or PCA, that would have longer range and greater ability to outmatch the most sophisticated enemy air defense systems.

Service leaders aim to have this new technology in the fleet in the 2030s. “We should try to accelerate that left if at all possible,” Gen. Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle said at a breakfast with defense reporters in Washington, D.C.

The Air Force should procure more joint strike fighters than planned over the next five years and then pivot to a new system, he said.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: They want these fighter jets to be flying by 2030.

U.S. Defense Contractors Are Getting Ready To Bid On Developing The U.S. Air Force's 6th Generation Fighter

An F-35B joint strike fighter jet conducts aerial maneuvers during aerial refueling training over the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 13, 2015. © United States Marine Corps / Flickr

Kris Osborn, National Interest: Why America's 6th-Generation Fighter (What Comes After the F-35) Could Be a Game Changer

Fighter jets in 20-years may likely contain the next-generation of stealth technology, electronic warfare advanced, sophisticated computer processing and algorithms, increased autonomy, hypersonic weapons and so-called "smart-skins" where sensors are built into the side of the aircraft itself.

Some of these characteristics may have been on display earlier this year when Northrop Grumman's SuperBowl AD revealed a flashy first look at its rendering of a new 6th-generation fighter jet. Northrop is one of a number of major defense industry manufacturers who will bid for a contract to build the new plane - when the time is right.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: As for the current fifth generation fighter .... the F-35 .... the Pentagon is promising that the issues that are plaguing the fighter will be resolved by year end .... US Military Says Beleaguered F-35 Issues To Be Resolved By Year’s End (Sputnik). On a side note .... a look at what could have been .... Boeing's X-32: The Plane That Could Have Replaced the F-35 Stealth Fighter (Robert Farley, National Interest).

NATO - U.S. Missile Defense System Activated

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L), Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work (R) take part in an official inauguration ceremony at Deveselu air base, Romania, May 12, 2016. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea/via REUTERS

Reuters: U.S. activates Romanian missile defense site, angering Russia

The United States switched on an $800 million missile shield in Romania on Thursday that it sees as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states but the Kremlin says is aimed at blunting its own nuclear arsenal.

To the music of military bands at the remote Deveselu air base, senior U.S. and NATO officials declared operational the ballistic missile defense site, which is capable of shooting down rockets from countries such as Iran that Washington says could one day reach major European cities.

"As long as Iran continues to develop and deploy ballistic missiles, the United States will work with its allies to defend NATO," said U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Robert Work, standing in front of the shield's massive gray concrete housing that was adorned with a U.S. flag.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: What concerns me is talk in Moscow of doing this .... Russia Could Drop START Treaty Due to New Air Defense Systems in Europe (Sputnik).

More News On NATO - U.S. Missile Defense System Activated

New U.S. missile site goes live in Russia's back yard -- CBS/AP
U.S. and NATO Officials Inaugurate Missile Defense Shield in Romania -- WSJ
US, NATO Activate Missile Defense Site in Romania -- VOA
US Missile Shield In Romania Switched On, Kremlin Calls It ‘Threat To Russia’s Security’ -- IBTimes

Reaction From Russia

Russia Calls New U.S. Missile Shield in Romania a 'Direct Threat' -- NBC
NATO Air Defense Systems Near Russian Border 'Poses a Threat to Russia' -- Sputnik
Russia is taking countermeasures against US missile defense in Europe — Kremlin -- TASS
‘Certainly it’s a threat’: Moscow rejects NATO claims ABM site safe for Russia -- RT