Search

High Costs for Manned Fighters and Bombers Have Air Force Looking to Field Combat Drones

High Costs for Manned Fighters and Bombers Have Air Force Looking to Field Combat Drones
F-35A Lightning IIs from the 388th Fighter Wing's 421st Fighter Squadron taxi down the runway at Nellis AFB, Nev. on Jan. 28 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

High costs for U.S. Air Force manned air-to-air and strike platforms, such as the future Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35, the Northrop Grumman [NOC] B-21 Raider bomber, and the Boeing [BA] F-15EX, have the service examining a "system of systems" approach for fighters and bombers in which manned aircraft could control a small group of combat drones. "One of the problems we have in the Air Force is that the next generation of…

Subscriber-only content. Please log in below.

Not a subscriber or registered user yet?

Please contact us at clientservices@accessintel.com or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.



Congress Updates

Budd And Shaheen Bill Would Authorize 329 F-15EX Fighters

Two members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), have introduced the Airpower Acceleration Act, which would authorize multi-year procurements of […]


HASC’s Wittman Sees ‘Challenging’ Push For $350B In Reconciliation Funds, Wants Sustained Defense Increase

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.– Congress’ work to pass $350 billion in reconciliation funds to support the Trump administration’s push for a $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2027 defense topline is “going to […]


Army Secretary Says “We Need To Over-Invest in FLRAA To Get It Online As Quickly As Possible”

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel (HAC-D), said on Thursday that the Army’s budget plan beginning in fiscal 2027 has more than $2 billion […]


Pentagon Fiscal 2027 Budget To Address Cannibalization Of Parts For F-35, Legislator Says

The Pentagon’s upcoming fiscal 2027 budget request will help reduce the cannibalization of parts for the F-35 fighter by Lockheed Martin [LMT], the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s […]