After a change in direction for the USAF's NGAD fighter programme, the service left the decision to proceed to the next administration.
Defense News reported that the USAF announced that whether NGAD will go any further won't be decided by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall but by the next administration.
2024 has been a critical year for the NGAD programme, with a significant shift from a high-end air superiority fighter to an affordable one aimed to be cheaper than the F-35.
The new direction draws a parallel with the cancelled F-20 Tigershark's philosophy regarding affordability and ease of maintenance. F-20 Tigershark was a heavily altered F-5 Tiger with F404 turbofan engines and new avionics, meant to fill the gap of a light fighter that is cheaper to acquire and operate compared to the F-16, which was recently introduced into service at the time.
Understanding the importance of fighters that are cheaper to acquire and operate, as well as easier to maintain, the USAF recently put a significant amount of upgraded 4th generation fighters like the F-15EX and F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III despite the presence of fifth-generation F-35A and F-35C.
Regarding the Trump administration's possible stance on NGAD, highly optimistic views on the F-35 might be an obstacle as the programme's new direction points away from the F-35's design philosophy, which is a high-end jack of all trades.
