Navy: NGAD Will be Family of Systems, Super Hornet Replacement Likely a Manned Fighterhttps://news.usni.org/2021/03/30/navy-ngad-will-be-family-of-systems-super-hornet-replacement-likely-a-manned-fighterThe Navy is leaning toward replacing its fleet of Super Hornets with another manned fighter that will work with emerging unmanned aircraft concepts under the umbrella of the service’s Next Generation Air Dominance program.
Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, who leads the chief of naval operation’s air warfare directorate (OPNAV N98), said Tuesday that the aircraft following the Super Hornets will “most likely be manned,†but that the Next Generation Air Dominance program will include a mix of both manned and unmanned platforms.
“As we look at it right now, the Next-Gen Air Dominance is a family of systems, which has as its centerpiece the F/A-XX – which may or may not be manned – platform. It’s the fixed-wing portion of the Next-Gen Air Dominance family of systems,†Harris told attendees at a Navy League breakfast.
“But we truly see NGAD as more than just a single aircraft. We believe that as manned-unmanned teaming comes online, we will integrate those aspects of manned and unmanned teaming into that,†he continued. “Whether that – we euphemistically refer to it as our little buddy – is an adjunct air-to-air platform, an adjunct [electronic warfare] platform, discussion of could it be an adjunct advanced early warning platform. We’ll have to replace the E-2D [Advanced Hawkeye] at some point in the future, so as we look to what replaces that.â€
One item apparently on the Navy's "wish list" is longer range without in-flight refueling.
