The US Air Force has revealed for the first time in nine years the secret NGAD X-Plane programme that has spurred the development of the sixth-generation fighter jet

US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has decided to talk about the secret Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) X-Plane project. It began several years before the development of the sixth generation fighter.

Here's What We Know

The Advanced Defence Research Agency of the US Department of Defence began work on The Dominance Initiative project in 2014. It lasted for a year. After the study, the Pentagon decided to create a so-called "family of systems" to replace the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor fighters.

The essence of the concept is the development of the aircraft, low-cost CCA drones, weapons, propulsion systems, electronic warfare systems and more. In 2015, the NGAD X-Plane project was launched, which received a total of $1bn from the US Air Force, the US Navy and the Pentagon.

The aim of the programme was to test new technologies to create a sixth-generation fighter jet. The US Air Force secretary said that several prototypes were built under the NGAD X-Plane, which were used to successfully demonstrate the new developments.

Previously, US officials said that even before the launch of NGAD, they had several prototypes that took to the air. Now we know more about it.

The sixth-generation fighter will come in the middle of the next decade. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are expected to compete for the contract after Northrop Grumman officially announced it was dropping out of the race. The agreement is expected to be signed in 2024.

Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine