Air Force Wavering on New Fighter Imperils World’s Most Advanced Engines
PUBLISHED JULY 16, 2024
@ 8:00 AM
By Rebecca Grant, Ph.D.
America has something China doesn’t: the world’s most advanced fighter plane engines.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Air Force is teetering on the edge of losing that precious lead, by delaying or restructuring its secretive Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD fighter.
Next Generation Air Dominance is a family of systems that includes weapons, drones and a manned fighter. The Air Force had planned to choose a winner this year for the manned fighter portion of NGAD, but in June comments from Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin put that in doubt. Kendall said the Air Force is reevaluating that plan due to budget concerns, which could impact either the contract award or delay future funding, depending on what he decides.
Airpower is nothing without propulsion. So, alongside the new fighter plane the Air Force also has two advanced engine projects. The XA100, made by GE Aerospace, and XA101, made by Pratt & Whitney of RTX, are highly advanced, adaptive cycle engines with unique abilities. The Air Force has been funding them in a long-term development program, dating back over a decade.
https://defenseopinion.com/air-force-wavering-on-new-fighter-imperils-worlds-most-advanced-engines/685/
