{"id":40677,"date":"2020-06-09T19:36:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T19:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/06\/09\/this-summer-could-be-a-make-or-break-moment-for-the-air-forces-next-fighter-program\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:09:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:09:59","slug":"this-summer-could-be-a-make-or-break-moment-for-the-air-forces-next-fighter-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2020\/06\/09\/this-summer-could-be-a-make-or-break-moment-for-the-air-forces-next-fighter-program\/","title":{"rendered":"This summer could be a make or break moment for US Air Force\u2019s next fighter program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Air Force is on track to finalize a business case for its ambitious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/16\/whats-going-on-with-americas-next-fighter-designs\/\" target=\"_blank\">next-generation fighter <\/a>this summer, its top acquisition official said Tuesday, and the results could be a make or break moment for the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force wants to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2019\/10\/03\/the-air-forces-next-generation-fighter-inches-forward-with-a-new-program-head\/\" target=_blank>radically shift its future fighter program<\/a> \u2014 also known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2019\/07\/24\/the-us-air-forces-next-generation-air-dominance-program-is-key-to-mission-success\/\" target=_blank>Next Generation Air Dominance<\/a> \u2014 to a model that the service\u2019s acquisition executive Will Roper calls the \u201cDigital Century Series.\u201d This model would use new development techniques like digital engineering, open architecture and advances in software development techniques like DevSecOps to field advanced aircraft more quickly and cheaply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least, that\u2019s the theory. Last September, Roper told Defense News that the program\u2019s first order of business would be to present an acquisition strategy that would prove whether the Digital Century Series program is technologically feasible, how it should be structured and whether it would be cheaper than traditional forms of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/2019\/09\/16\/the-us-air-forces-radical-plan-for-a-future-fighter-could-field-a-jet-in-5-years\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AF5.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The US Air Force\u2019s radical plan for a future fighter could field a jet in 5 years<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S. Air Force is seeking rapid-fire plane production as it tries to surpass the capabilities of near-peer competitors like Russia and China.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, the plan is almost ready, Roper said during a Tuesday event held by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hope to have the acquisition plan for NGAD rolling into the Digital Century Series this summer,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to go more specific than that and timeline and drumbeat for the team, because I have given them an unprecedented task.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Digital Century Series is much different than the Air Force\u2019s initial sixth-generation fighter project, known as Penetrating Counter Air, which the service wanted to field the early 2030s. That jet would be part of a networked family of systems that include drones, sensors and other platforms formed after a decade of prototyping efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In contrast, the Digital Century Series model would require multiple defense contractors to develop new fighter jets in a matter of years using whatever technological advances have recently emerged. The Air Force would then downselect to a single vendor, buy a small number of aircraft and restart the process \u2014 allowing for companies to constantly be designing and producing planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The entire process, Roper said, could take as little as five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October, Col. Dale White was named head of the program executive office for advanced aircraft, which manages the NGAD portfolio of systems and oversees the Digital Century Series acquisition plan. That program office will become PEO Fighters and Advanced Aircraft at the end of June, with White having been selected for promotion to brigadier general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force has asked for $1 billion for the NGAD program in fiscal 2021. It received $905 million for the program the previous year. However, it\u2019s likely the Air Force will need to greatly increase that sum in future budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Roper has projected that aircraft development under a Digital Century Series model could be more expensive than legacy methods due to having multiple companies under contract and requiring them to design and prototype aircraft very quickly. However, he also believes sustainment and modernization costs will be far lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/digital-show-dailies\/farnborough\/2018\/07\/16\/whats-going-on-with-americas-next-fighter-designs\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AF4.jpg_db44ce.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">What\u2019s going on with America\u2019s next fighter designs?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S. Air Force and Navy have ongoing efforts to create a new fighter design, but what does that look like?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If that theory can be proved out in the acquisition strategy, Congress might more likely agree to fund an unconventional, experimental program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow long we keep the aircraft is one of the variables that they are weighing [as part of the business case]. How many years make sense? It\u2019s clearly not two, three, four, five, but we don\u2019t want it to be 30 either. So they\u2019re looking at that,\u201d Roper said Tuesday. \u201cThey\u2019re looking at the amount of modernization that would be expected \u2014 what we would expect that to cost and if it gets easier with digital tools. And then summing it all up to see whether the cost of having a lethal airplane per year is less than for the Digital Century Series model than for the traditional.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf it is, that is going to really help us, I hope, because we\u2019ll show that data and argue that it is not just better from a \u2018competing with China and lethality\u2019 standpoint. It\u2019s just better from a business standpoint,\u201d Roper said. \u201cIf it breaks even or is less [than traditional methods], I will be exceptionally happy. If it\u2019s more expensive \u2014 and I hope not exceptionally more \u2014 then we\u2019re going to have to argue\u201d on behalf of the program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Next Generation Air Dominance program is set to have a finalized acquisition strategy within the next few 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