If forced, the United States would need to add more than $20 billion to the project’s budget just to cover research and development.
But he said another option for developing an F-22 successor is to develop an F-35 successor that can manage unmanned cooperative fighters. The United States could also increase its reliance on “relatively cheap” long-range missile strikes.
“But there are other priorities that really need to be funded first, so this decision ultimately comes down to whether there is enough money in the budget to buy everything we need; It depends on whether it is the right thing to buy NGAD,” he said. Said.
Kendall, who plans to leave the position Sunday after four years in the role, added that even if the Air Force decides to move forward with the plan, it may only be able to deliver a small portion of NGAD.
