US to take 'hard look' at fighter project, top official says

By Tim Hepher

RAF FAIRFORD, England (Reuters) - The U.S. will closely dissect its plans for a Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform - a future family of fighters and drones - before deciding whether to go ahead, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said on Saturday.

The cost of the future F-22 replacement has come under scrutiny after topping $300 million each, three times the cost of an F-35. But Kendall also highlighted evolving threats, in an apparent reference to rapidly arming China.

The idea of using drones or Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) will remain part of the proposed initiatives, he said.

"Before we make the commitment that we are close to making, we want to make sure we have got the right design concept," Kendall said at Britain's Royal International Air Tattoo, the world's largest military air show.

"NGAD was conceived before a number of things: before the threat became so severe, before CCAs were introduced into the equation and before we had some issues with affordability that we are currently facing," Kendall told reporters.

"So we are going to take a hard look at NGAD before moving forward, but the family of systems which includes a crewed platform and CCAs and weapon systems and communications ... is still very much the concept that we are pursuing".

The Air Force faces heavy costs for renewing its land-based nuclear deterrent and developing the B-21 bomber.

"Before we commit to the 2026 budget, we want to be sure we are on the right path," Kendall told reporters.

Analysts attending the air show said the depth of the review suggested the Air Force wanted to refresh its view on whether NGAD remained well adapted to threats posed by China as its schedule slips into the 2030s.

"NGAD is a whole series of programs under the umbrella of capabilities that the Air Force wants in order both to better deter China and to fight and win if necessary," said Vago Muradian, editor of Defense & Aerospace Report.

"The Chinese are changing how they're going to fight. So the question that a budget-constrained Air Force is asking is whether the tens of billions of dollars is the right investment, or are there better ways of achieving some of these same aims".

Boeing and Lockheed Martin are widely seen as competing to win the core fighter part of the project.

The rethink has captured attention in Europe where Britain's crewed-uncrewed GCAP project, in partnership with Japan and Italy, may face scrutiny in an upcoming UK defence review and France, Germany and Spain are working on the FCAS/SCAF project.

Partners in GCAP are expected to give an update at the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Paul Simao)