The US Navy has shown the concept of a sixth-generation carrier-based fighter being developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program to replace the current F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The corresponding image was posted on Twitter by Aviation Week editor Steve Trimble.
It is expected that the F/A-XX aircraft, visually resembling the YF-23 project, will replace the existing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet carrier-based fighters in the 2030s. The former should be distinguished from the latter, in particular, by high speed and range of flight, as well as the use of modern radars. The F/A-XX will be able to act as the lead aircraft for a group of guided drones.
NAVAIR has released new concept art of the F/A-XX, showing canards, a pseudo lambda/delta wing, and, I think, YF-23-style ruddervators (but they might be stabilizers.) The description also calls for more speed and range than F/A-18E/F Block III. https://t.co/ztebX38Mqo pic.twitter.com/c2LAlGqQSZ- Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) October 29, 2021
In June, The Drive reported that the NGAD program being developed for the Air Force (Air Force) The US sixth-generation fighter will receive expensive "Chinese" and cheap "Russian" versions. According to the publication, in the first case we are talking about a long-range aircraft designed for operations in the Pacific Ocean. The second is about a shorter-range fighter for Europe.
In September 2020, will Roper, occupying the post of procurement assistant Minister of the U.S. air force, said that the Pentagon in secrecy in the framework of the NGAD designed, built and at least once flew the prototype X-plane, which implies, in particular, unmanned or manned aircraft of the new generation, including a sixth-generation fighter jet.
Ivan Potapov