F-15 Eagle and F-22 Raptor fighters have been created in the context of counteraction from the USSR, while the NEXT-Generation Air Dominance Program (NGAD) is being developed for confrontation with both Russia and China, said Defense News General United States Air Force (Air Force) Mark Kelly.
According to him, the NGAD project, involving the creation of a sixth generation fighter, faces three problems: secrecy, cost and COVID-19. “High secrecy for the most part makes it impossible to discuss in the open area. COVID-19 makes it difficult to accommodate truly important people in small closed spaces. And all that is associated with high technologies is not cheap,” the general explained the general.
In June, the DRIVE edition reported that the sixth generation fighter will receive an expensive “Chinese” and cheap “Russian” versions for the US Air Force. According to the publication, in the first case we are talking about the aircraft of a large range of flight intended for action in the Pacific area. In the second – about the fighter of a smaller range for Europe.
In September 2020, Will Roper, taking an assistant to the procurement of the US Air Force, stated that the Pentagon in terms of secrecy was designed under the NGAD program, built and at least once raised the prototype of the X-aircraft under which it means , in particular, an unmanned or manned aircraft of a new generation, including the sixth generation fighter.