Next Generation Air Dominance

The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is a strategic initiative by the Air Force designed to ensure air superiority in complex operational environments. It focuses on developing a family of systems to enhance survivability, lethality, persistence, and interoperability. Key activities include digital acquisitions through digital engineering, agile software development, and open systems architectures. The program supports the design, build, and testing of full weapon systems and involves operational concept exploration, technology studies, and multi-domain integration assessments. These efforts align with the Secretary of the Air Force's Operational Imperatives.

The NGAD Platform project specifically targets the maturation of technologies and risk reduction through development, integration, and testing activities. It emphasizes enhancements in survivability and lethality while ensuring interoperability across various military operations. The project employs digital acquisitions to support full weapon system design and testing. It also includes operational/system architecture development and integrated system concept demonstrations. Strategic planning choices for the NGAD Platform are presented annually to guide its development trajectory.

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) is another component under the NGAD umbrella, focusing on uncrewed systems that complement crewed aircraft to achieve air superiority. This initiative leverages science and technology investments to reduce risks associated with new technologies. Key attributes of CCA include mission-integrated autonomy and multi-platform interoperability. The program involves digital engineering practices for developing integrated weapon systems and conducting multi-level prototyping to support air superiority technologies.

Both NGAD Platform and CCA projects follow a structured acquisition strategy based on multi-domain capabilities development. Cross-functional teams conduct analyses, demonstrations, and experiments to evaluate alternative concepts' operational value. These efforts aim to address current and future capability gaps in air superiority by integrating advanced technologies into existing Department of Defense systems based on emerging threats and priorities.