USAF/US NAVY 6th Generation Fighter Programs - F/A-XX, F-X, NGAD, PCA, ASFS news

[_Del_]

EXCLUSIVE: New Air Force review supports manned 6th-gen NGAD fighter concept - Breaking Defense

Military analysis supports the fielding of a sixth-generation stealth fighter, Breaking Defense has learned, though a final decision on the Next Generation Air Dominance platform now rests with the Trump administration.

breakingdefense.com

The good news is there is a need for the 6th gen fighter in the review.

The bad news is they admit they can't afford it.

 

[dark sidius]

The bad news is they admit they can't afford it.

They must afford it if USAF don't want to be the second Air Force behind China for the 21 century and more.

 

[_Del_]

They must afford it if USAF don't want to be the second Air Force behind China for the 21 century and more.

Not so dire, and China has problems of its own. There are plenty of contemporary and historical arguments for alternative routed to our procurement policy, and we don't have much choice even if the arguments were not persuasive (and I think they are). Things are going to change. They have to. Get used to it.
We'd be done in a few weeks against China right now, today, with all the advantages we hold. It's not enough to simply field "better" technology if it doesn't accomplish our goals.

 

[NMaude]

They must afford it if USAF don't want to be the second Air Force behind China for the 21 century and more.

Not so dire, and China has problems of its own.

That's not very likely in regards to the PRC as it is dealing with intractable demographic and economic issues that are getting worse.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Ugh, then what fighters are even for?

shooting down bombers before they drop the cruise missiles.

 

[Josh_TN]

They must afford it if USAF don't want to be the second Air Force behind China for the 21 century and more.

I think your assumption that this is not an option is misplaced. Ending manned NGAD is absolutely something that might happen.

 

[Josh_TN]

That's not very likely in regards to the PRC as it is dealing with intractable demographic and economic issues that are getting worse.

That hardly makes it less dangerous in the short to medium term. Probably quite the opposite. Never the less, it does not seem like Congress is willing to pay for NGAD or let the USAF part with old aircraft to pay for it. So Legacy A-10s it is.

 

[quellish]

That hardly makes it less dangerous in the short to medium term. Probably quite the opposite. Never the less, it does not seem like Congress is willing to pay for NGAD or let the USAF part with old aircraft to pay for it. So Legacy A-10s it is.

The Air Force has been trying to retire F-22s and invest the “savings” directly into the NGAD program. Congress has been opposed.

Congress has not said it is not willing to
pay for NGAD. It has paid for the program each year so far.

 

[_Del_]

The Air Force has been trying to retire F-22s and invest the “savings” directly into the NGAD program. Congress has been opposed.

They're both right. We should divest the F-22 as soon as possible to use that money on future programs, and we shouldn't do it until they've demonstrated that NGAD can deliver an affordable airplane in numbers that lets them retire the F-22.

JSF was touted as cheaper to operate than F-16's. ATF was going to be cheaper to own and operate than the Eagles. It would have been a disaster to retire the legacy aircraft and dump the money on ATF and JSF development programs.

We have recap needs right now, today. No need to exacerbate them with early retirements when the track record for procurement programs is so ugly.

I think they are looking in the right direction with multiple platforms in production with relatively short development cycles and service lives. If they can deliver on the "new century series" visions, then yes, absolutely, gut the F-22 force, but until they demonstrate it, there are short term needs to balance with the future.