The U.S. Air Force has flown a full-scale prototype of its next generation jet fighter that might replace the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth plane.
The flight was made public earlier this week at the Air Force Association's 2020 Virtual Air, Space and Cyber Conference, which ended Wednesday. The new fighter, which will likely combine stealth with speed, still goes by the name it was given in 2016: Next Generation Air Dominance fighter. It has also been called "Penetrating Counter Air."
"We've already built and flown a full-scale flight demonstrator in the real world and we broke records in doing it," said Dr. Will Roper who is the assistant secretary of acquisitions, technology and logistics for the Air Force. "We are ready to go and build the next-generation aircraft in a way that has never happened before."
Roper said the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter had many "advanced systems" but declined to give details.
"We're going after the most complicated systems that have ever been built - and checked all the boxes with this digital technology," he said. "In fact, we've not just checked the boxes we've demonstrated something that's truly magical."
Some general specifications have been made public: Important Next Generation Air Dominance specs include "enhancements in survivability, lethality and persistence across a range of military operations." The Air Force can spend up to $1 billion in fiscal 2021 to develop the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter. It received $905 million in 2020 and $413 million in 2019, according to official documents. The Next Generation Air Dominance fighter program is expected to cost an additional $6.5 billion through fiscal 2025.
What will result might not resemble a traditional fighter jet. This was revealed in 2016 by Brig. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich - deputy director for operations, operations team three, National Joint Operations and Intelligence Center at the time.
"I've gotten into a little hot water with my fighter pilot brethren over this because I say things like: 'Hey, it may not necessarily be a fighter,' " he said. Gen. Grynkewich is now Director of Operations, U.S. Central Command.
In 2016 he predicted the Air Force intended to have completed its final concept and have a flying prototype by the 2020s.
"I think a realistic timeline is somewhere around 2028 with key investments in some key technology areas. You'd be able to have some initial operational capability of a penetrating counter air capability," he said.
He said the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter might look more like a sensor node than the dogfighters of the past, he said.
