Divide and conquer: Air Force’s next-gen fighter to get unique software system
Summary
So anytime you did a mission upgrade, you had to go back and make sure the aircraft is safe to fly.” Since disclosing the first flight of an NGAD demonstrator in 2020, Air Force officials have remained relatively mum about the effort, which will field a sixth-gen “family of systems” that will include a fighter and uncrewed aircraft that will begin replacing the F-22 Raptor around 2030. Decoupling the flight control and mission system software gives the Air Force more flexibility to add in emerging technologies that are currently under development, so long as they can fit inside the aircraft and meet weight, power and cooling parameters, Brown said. “We can actually then change the mission systems and allow various vendors to compete, as long as they meet, form fit and function,” Brown said. “And because it drives competition, you get a better end product, and ideally, it brings the price down as well.” While the NGAD program remains highly secretive, spending on the effort has been gradually growing over the past several years — a sign of continued progress. Earlier this month, Maj. Gen. James Peccia, the Air Force’s deputy assistant secretary for budget, attributed that increase to advanced sensors and resilient communications gear for the sixth-gen fighter — the kinds of mission systems Brown suggested could be continuously evaluated throughout NGAD’s development.