What You Need to Know: The U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation NGAD fighter program has been paused due to its high unit cost of $300 million and concerns about outdated design requirements.

-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall emphasized re-evaluating NGAD’s concept amid evolving threats and budgetary constraints, particularly with the emergence of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones.

-CCAs are expected to reduce costs while enhancing mission flexibility. Meanwhile, the Air Force is slowing down the F-22 Raptor’s retirement to avoid capability gaps.

-With China advancing its own next-gen stealth bomber, the need for advanced U.S. air superiority technology remains urgent in the face of rising tensions.

The U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter program has taken a pause. While this “family of systems” is designed to maintain air superiority against rising threats, budgetary constraints have impeded its eventual entry into service. The unit price for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is estimated at $300 million.

This exorbitant cost, notably........

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