At the end of March, with the confirmation of Boeing’s selection for the development of the future F-47, born from the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) Program to equip the United States Air Force (USAF) with a new sixth-generation fighter, Lockheed Martin suffered a major blow to its long-term aspirations. However, for the U.S. aerospace firm —winner of previous competitions focused on fifth-generation aircraft— this situation also presents an opportunity for the future, as much of the technology developed and applied in its experimental “X” aircraft could be incorporated into the currently operational F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fighters.
Firstly, following the selection of Boeing’s proposal, Lockheed Martin has officially announced that it will not contest the United States Air Force’s decision from last March. This was confirmed by the company’s CEO, Jim Taiclet, on April 22 during a shareholders’ meeting.
Regarding the matter, the CEO stated, “We are not going to protest the NGAD decision of the U.S. government,” confirming that the USAF has provided them with the classified report detailing the specific elements behind the decision, so that the feedback can be used internally in current and future projects.
According to Lockheed Martin’s executive, the company will follow a roadmap based on the knowledge and experience gained during its participation in the NGAD Program, which could benefit future upgrades for the USAF’s current fifth-generation fighters — the F-22 and F-35.
“We are moving forward and moving out on applying all the technologies that we developed for our NGAD bid,” Taiclet said, adding that they could bring 80% of the NGAD’s capabilities “… at 50 percent of the cost per unit aircraft, by taking the F-35 chassis and applying numerous advanced technologies, some of which are already in process”.
The mention of the F-35 is significant, as the company continues to progress with the TR-3 upgrade, which has faced its own challenges, in preparation for the next major modernization of the fifth-generation aircraft, known as Block IV.
In addition to the updates for the F-35, similar efforts are being made to equip the USAF’s current F-22 Raptors with new capabilities they currently lack. As reported, Lockheed Martin is moving forward with providing the fighters with new TacIRST infrared search and track (IRST) sensors, which are essential in the face of a growing number of stealth fighters from potential U.S. rivals.
Based on the information reported, Lockheed Martin will now focus its efforts on the current fifth-generation fighters, especially since the U.S. Navy’s decision to exclude its proposal for the F/A-XX Program means it will not be directly involved in the development of new sixth-generation stealth aircraft.
*Photographs and images used for illustrative purposes only.
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