Northrop Grumman capture
Warzone/The Drive: Northrop Grumman Bails On Next Generation Fighter Competition
Northrop Grumman has decided to focus on other opportunities, among them is the Navy’s own 6th generation fighter program.
Northrop Grumman has removed itself from the running, at least as a prime contractor, to design and build a new sixth-generation stealthy crewed combat jet under the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. This is in line with a report last month that the field of NGAD combat jet competitors had shrunk from three to two, with the remaining pair widely believed to be Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The company has left open the possibility of joining another NGAD team led by a different prime contractor.
Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman's CEO, spoke of her company's current strategy around the Air Force's multi-faceted NGAD program during an earning call earlier today. In May, the service announced it had formally released a classified contract solicitation for the engineering and manufacturing phase of the development of the NGAD combat jet. This aircraft is ostensibly intended to replace the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, but is expected to have significantly more expansive capabilities that go well beyond a traditional fighter concept.
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WNU Editor: Lockheed and Boeing are the only companies bidding on this new fighter jet .... These Two Defense Titans Will Battle to Build the Nation's Next Fighter Jet (Motley Fool). More here .... 6th-Gen Fighter Program: Northrop Grumman Pulls Out Of NGAD; Boeing, Lockheed To Fight For Big, Fat USAF Contract (EurAsian Times).
Northrop Will Not Bid On The US Air Force's NGAD Sixth-Gen Fighter
Northrop will not bid on Air Force's new fighter -- Defense One Northrop bows out of NGAD fighter competition -- Flight Global
Northrop not competing for NGAD sixth-gen fighter: CEO -- Breaking Defense
Northrop Quits Race For Next USAF Fighter, Hits B-21 Milestone -- Aviation Week