NGAD - US Navy fighter aircraft of the future

Even 37 years after the first F/A-18 entered service, the fighter aircraft still forms the core of the American aircraft carrier battle groups. Now the Navy is launching the development of a successor model - with and without pilots.

The F/A-18 fighter aircraft still fulfils the requirements of the US Navy. Nevertheless, it is currently preparing plans for a successor. The system, previously known as Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), is designed as a family of various manned and unmanned aircraft. The centrepiece is a fighter aircraft provisionally known as the F/A-XX. NGAD is to be introduced in the 2030s.