What to expect from the US Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter jet
Two F-22s (top) fly with two F-35s in Florida in 2014. Both aircraft types are considered to be fifth-generation fighters. Shane A. Cuomo / US Air Force On May 18, the United States Department of the Air Force announced that it is looking to award a contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance Platform in 2024. The name, shortened to NGAD, is a jumble of Pentagon concepts, obscuring what is actually sought: a novel fighter jet representing the newest era of military aircraft—a sixth-generation fighter. “The NGAD Platform is a vital element of the Air Dominance family of systems which represents a generational leap in technology over the F-22, which it will replace,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in a release. “NGAD will include attributes such as enhanced lethality...