Following President Donald Trump’s announcement that Boeing has been selected to lead the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, Lockheed Martin issued an official statement expressing disappointment and reaffirming its commitment to advancing air superiority technologies.
“Lockheed Martin continues to work to advance critical technologies to outpace emerging threats and deliver true 21st Century Security® solutions to our nation’s military forces,” the company said in a statement. “We are committed to advancing the state of the art in air dominance to ensure America has the most revolutionary systems to counter the rapidly evolving threat environment. While disappointed with this outcome, we are confident we delivered a competitive solution. We will await further discussions with the U.S. Air Force.”
Trump, speaking on Friday, confirmed Boeing’s win in the NGAD competition, a multibillion-dollar program designed to replace the F-22 Raptor with a new crewed fighter that operates alongside drones. The contract for engineering and manufacturing development is expected to be worth more than $20 billion, with the potential for hundreds of billions more in future procurement over the system’s lifecycle.
The NGAD platform, called the F-47, shrouded in secrecy, is anticipated to incorporate advanced sensors, next-generation propulsion, and stealth technologies, with a focus on distributed operations and manned-unmanned teaming.
Lockheed Martin, which developed the F-22 and F-35, had been a leading contender for the NGAD contract. Its exclusion from the program marks a rare setback for the defense giant in the realm of advanced combat aircraft development. Despite this, the company indicated that it would remain engaged with the Department of Defense on future opportunities and continue to support evolving air dominance efforts.