At a recent mobility conference, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall raised concerns over the budget required to develop the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System (NGAS) and other high-tech programs like the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone wingmen.
Speaking at the Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium in Grapevine, Texas, Kendall expressed doubts about the Air Force’s ability to afford all three programs, citing tight budgets and competing modernization priorities. Kendall noted that the Air Force is in a challenging position as it attempts to finance several large-scale projects simultaneously.
The NGAD, intended to be a sixth-generation stealth fighter, cost around $300 million per airframe—over three times the cost of the F-35 fighter.
Kendall acknowledged that cost concerns are driving a review to consider reducing NGAD’s roles or potentially integrating it more with other systems, like the CCA drone wingmen, which are designed to support manned fighters in complex missions.
Kendall also admitted that funding NGAS alongside other major projects may be challenging.
The NGAS is being developed to address refueling needs in highly contested environments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region where distances are vast. The uncrewed, potentially stealth-capable NGAS would support U.S. fighters closer to enemy territories, allowing them to operate further from traditional bases.
Lockheed Martin’s concept images for the NGAS, displayed at the conference, show a small, autonomous tanker that could blend with stealth fighters, such as the F-35, while avoiding radar detection.
The Air Force’s review of the NGAD, NGAS, and CCA programs is expected to conclude in 2024, with Kendall stating that the affordability of these systems will be a central factor in the decision. Some experts have suggested that even a proposed military budget increase would not fully address the Air Force’s needs, highlighting the difficulty of funding these advanced technologies.
