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The United States Air Force has officially released a classified solicitation to industry for an engineering and manufacturing development contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform with the intent to award a contract in 2024.
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This long-awaited solicitation formally begins the source selection process providing industry with the requirements the DAF expects for the NGAD, as the future replacement of the F-22 Raptor.
The NGAD acquisition strategy will invigorate and broaden the industrial base to deliver rapid and innovative warfighting capabilities.
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall explained the central role this future platform will play in the US Air Force’s future structure and air superiority role, saying, “The NGAD platform is a vital element of the Air Dominance family of systems which represents a generational leap in technology over the F-22, which it will replace.”
The strategy incorporates lessons learned from recent Air Force acquisition programs and will leverage open architecture standards — this approach will enable the US government to maximise competition throughout the life cycle, provide a larger, more responsive industry base, and drastically reduce maintenance and sustainment costs.
“NGAD will include attributes such as enhanced lethality and the ability to survive, persist, interoperate, and adapt in the air domain, all within highly contested operational environments. No one does this better than the US Air Force, but we will lose that edge if we don’t move forward now,” Secretary Kendall added.
The NGAD platform is one of many critical combat capabilities that will enable counter-air missions with the ability to strike both airborne and ground-based threats to achieve air superiority and support the Joint Force.
Further information on the NGAD platform’s technical and programmatic details are classified to protect operational and technological advantages.
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft program is not part of this NGAD platform source selection.
