The US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance program is critical to assuring air superiority through mid-century. The crewed fighter at the center of NGAD is optimized for securing command of the air in heavily contested areas–like in and around China. It also has the range and other features necessary to operate in the vast distances of the Western Pacific. It’s too soon to say who will win the down-selects to integrate the NGAD airframe or engine, but it is not too soon to say what aerospace company is most likely to benefit from the overall program. That will be RTX, which has broader domain knowledge across relevant technologies than any other enterprise in the world. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.
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