The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is centered around the F-47, a manned fighter contract that was awarded to Boeing last spring. But the NGAD program contains more than just the F-47—the program also includes unmanned collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), for manned-unmanned teaming, and a series of sensors, networks, and other weapons.

The F-47 is the highlight, though, with an emphasis on range, survivability, and information dominance; it is not expected to serve as the Air Force’s everyday workhorse, but as a replacement to the F-22, geared toward the highest-end fights only. 

The NGAD concept accelerated in the late 2010s, driven by concerns that the F-22 fleet was too small—with fewer than 200 airframes complete—and that the F-35, more of a digital node than a dogfighter, was not optimized for air dominance. The NGAD program drew motivation from the F-22 and the F-35, but also incorporated lessons from their development in an effort to avoid their respective........

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