It’s also possible that the Air Force has made these announcements to sound the alarm among the lawmaker class, which could potentially bolster the branch’s buying power in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to ensure NGAD continues unfettered despite the Air Force’s pressing need to also fund the production of new B-21 Raider stealth bombers and the already well-over-budget Sentinel ICBM meant to replace America’s aging Minuteman III missiles.

Whether or not either of the above two possibilities is the case won’t likely be clear until well after the NGAD contract – in whatever form it may ultimately manifest – has been awarded.

But while the future of the NGAD fighter itself may now be in question, the AI-enabled drones meant to fly alongside it, being developed within the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, seem to be progressing at full steam ahead, with Allvin pointing to similar 10-year acquisition timelines for new CCA drones as well. This would similarly allow the branch to rapidly field new technologies and capabilities as they emerge while keeping costs relatively low for each iteration of these drones – with modular systems shared across platforms to keep prices down. These drones are already expected to fly alongside the forthcoming Block 4 F-35 and could certainly end up accompanying other modernized-but-older jets like the F-22 and F-15EX a bit further down the road.

The question, however, will soon become whether it makes more sense to extend the lifespan of the F-22 long enough to compensate for delays in fielding its replacement or fielding a new high-end fighter that might not have what it takes to remain competitive into the 2070s.

Regardless of which path the Air Force ultimately chooses, that choice will only get pricier the longer the branch waits to decide.

About the Author: Alex Hollings 

Alex Hollings is a writer, dad, and Marine veteran.

This article was first published by Sandboxx News.

All images are Creative Commons.