China’s new fighter jets have not affected the United States Air Force’s (USAF) plans for the Next Generation Air Superiority (NGAD) program.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in an interview that the current Air Force leadership decisions regarding the Next Generation Air Superiority Program and the Air Force’s overall strategic outlook will be impacted by the arrival of new Chinese fighter jets, including the new AWACS platform and small combat aircraft. He said he would not accept it. size aircraft, and possibly new bombers and medium bombers.
“I’ve been watching China modernize its military for quite some time,” Kendall said. “They’re actively working to build a military to keep the United States out of the Western Pacific, and I think over time they’ll have more ambitions than that.”
Strategically, “they’ve already indicated that they intend to modernize their strategic forces and dramatically increase their nuclear weapons inventory. And they’re doing something similar in space, right? They’re really We’re rapidly militarizing space. I mean, it’s already built into everything we thought about, and the arrival of those…publicly visible planes doesn’t really change that. ” he added.
The statement came days after China flew two sixth-generation fighter prototypes on December 26. The tailless supersonic stealth aircraft are designated the Chengdu J-36 and Shenyang J-XX/J-50 by military observers who believe China can fly them. It is the first country to deploy 6th generation fighter jets.
A day after China’s sixth-generation fighter prototype made its maiden flight, a new KJ-3000 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft was also seen making its maiden flight. China also unveiled a fifth-generation aircraft called the J-35A at the Zhuhai Air Show in November 2024.
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After the arrival of the 6th generation J-36, military experts speculated that this might eventually lead to the return of NGAD, but those hopes were dashed, at least in the short term.
The United States suspended the program in summer 2024, reviewed its requirements, and ultimately postponed a decision on its future until the incoming Trump administration.
Initially, NGAD was intended to partially replace the U.S. Air Force’s F-22. However, it has been put on hold due to high costs and the need to prioritize resources for other important programs.
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Each NGAD aircraft costs between $250 million and $300 million, nearly three times the cost of an F-35.
Last year, Kendall hinted that a redesign was needed to control costs and better integrate loyal wingman drones. In its fiscal year 2023 budget request, the U.S. Air Force allocated a total of $1.66 billion to the NGAD program.
In his farewell press conference, Kendall emphasized that the Air Force and Space Force have “strategic priorities” that need to be considered and evaluated for different NGAD approaches. But Kendall added that price is not the only issue, reiterating concerns that evolving technology and threats also need to be reconsidered.
“My operator wasn’t 100 percent sure he had the right airplane,” he said. “And I agree with that. I think it’s very valuable to think carefully about what essentially the successor to the F-22 is. Is it really the right new design?”
When asked what the Blue Ribbon Committee of Stealth Experts, which includes analysts, former chiefs of staff, and senior generals, had recommended about NGAD, Kendall said, “We need to fund other things.” We agreed that there were some things.” ”However, it would still be beneficial to own aircraft similar to NGAD if funds were available.
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“We looked at lower cost, multi-role capabilities. We looked at things that were more tailored to work together (cooperative combat aircraft), but of course NGAD would do that. “And we also considered several other ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas,” he says, “some of which may be worth pursuing independently.” added.
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The ambitious NGAD program may not be over yet, but its postponement and redesign means China could become the first country in the world to introduce a sixth-generation fighter into its air force.
Two other sixth-generation fighter programs are currently underway: the British-Japanese-Italian Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) and the French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
However, none of these aircraft are scheduled to fly anytime soon. Ironically, NGAD was the first 6th generation aircraft to take to the skies in 2020.
Furthermore, despite NGAD’s difficulties, the United States is proceeding with the development of the next-generation fighter jet FA-XX for the US Navy. Some experts have suggested that the US may combine NGAD and FA-XX to control costs.
The United States may focus on the next-generation B-21 Raider, which is a priority for the U.S. Air Force. The B-21 was conceived in 2011 and a major development contract was signed in 2015. After the project was kept secret for several years, the United States finally unveiled its sixth-generation bomber in 2022.
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Raider made its first flight in November 2023. At least three B-21s are currently in various stages of testing. The bomber is expected to enter service by the mid-2020s.
China is also developing a sixth-generation bomber called the H-20, but Western analysts believe it will be several years before the aircraft is ready for public use. In fact, a Pentagon report on China’s military released last month considered it unlikely that the H-20 would debut before 2030.
“China is developing a new generation of long-range bomber, likely to be named the H-20,” the Pentagon report said. The H-20, which could debut within the next decade, would have a range of more than 10,000 kilometers (about 6,214 miles), giving China’s air force coverage from the second island chain to the western Pacific Ocean. ”
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For now, the United States and China are developing sixth-generation aircraft with an eye toward future combat. Although the postponement of NGAD has disappointed and angered defense enthusiasts, the project is far from being shelved.
For now, the incoming Trump administration holds the keys to NGAD. It remains to be seen whether the program will be suspended or revived.
