Next Generation Air Dominance
| Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) | |
|---|---|
| Artist's rendering of the Boeing F-47, an upcoming sixth generation jet fighter | |
| General information | |
| Project for | Air superiority fighter |
| Issued by | United States Air Force |
| Proposals | proposals from Boeing and Lockheed Martin |
| History | |
| Initiated | 2014 (DARPA Air Dominance Initiative) |
| Outcome | Boeing selected to develop and produce the F-47 |
| Related | Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP), F/A-XX program (Navy program) |
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The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) is a United States Air Force (USAF) sixth-generation air superiority initiative with a goal of fielding a "family of systems" that is to succeed the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. A crewed fighter aircraft is the centerpiece program of NGAD and has been referred to as the Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform and is to be supported by uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), or loyal wingman platforms, through manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).
The NGAD originates from DARPA's Air Dominance Initiative study in 2014 and is expected to field the new fighter aircraft in the 2030s. While originally pitched as a joint Air Force-Navy program, the two services established separate offices and programs. Despite sharing the same name, the Air Force's NGAD effort is distinct from the Navy's, which has the F/A-XX as its crewed fighter component and would have a similar fielding timeframe. In March 2025, the Air Force chose the Boeing F-47 as the winning design for the NGAD PCA, with the program moving to Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD).
The Air Force expects to buy about 200 manned NGAD fighters and more than 1,000 CCAs, following a 2:1 ratio with NGAD and F-35 aircraft.