List of future military aircraft of the United States

Last updated

This is a list of military aircraft that are being developed for use by the United States military in the near future.

For aircraft in-service see List of active United States military aircraft.

Northrop Grumman B-21 Artist Rendering B21 Bomber Air Force Official.jpg
Northrop Grumman B-21
AircraftTypeOperatorsNotes
Fixed-wing Aircraft
Boeing T-7 Red Hawk Trainer Air Force To enter service around 2023. [1]
Beechcraft T-54A Trainer Navy To enter service in 2024. [2]
Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider Stealth Strategic bomber Air Force To enter service in 2025. [3]
Boeing MQ-25 Stingray Unmanned combat aerial vehicle for Aerial refueling Navy To enter service in 2026 [4]
Boeing E-7 Wedgetail Airborne early warning and control Air Force To enter service around 2027. [5]
E-XX TACAMO Airborne command post Navy To enter service after 2027.
Boeing VC-25B Presidential Transport Air Force To enter service between 2027-2028 [6]
F/A-XX program Multirole combat aircraft Navy To enter service around 2030. [7]
Next Generation Air Dominance Air superiority fighter Air Force To enter service around 2030. [8]
Survivable Airborne Operations Center Airborne command post Air Force To enter service around 2032. [9]
KC-Z Next Generation Air-Refueling System Tanker/Transport Air Force To enter service around 2040 [10]
High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System ISR/SIGINT Army To enter service around 2027. [11]
Helicopters
Future Vertical Lift Helicopters Multirole Helicopters Army Version to enter service between 2025-2035. [12]
Bell V-280 Valor Tiltrotor Military helicopter Army To enter service around 2030 [13]
Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft Utility and Scout/Attack Helicopter Army Program terminated in February 2024 [14]
Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot Presidential Transport Marine Corps To enter service in 2020. [15] (delayed)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Air Force</span> Air service branch of the U.S. military

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed services of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey</span> Military transport tiltrotor

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The V-22 is operated by the United States and Japan, and is not only a new aircraft design, but a new type of aircraft that entered service in the 2000s, a tiltrotor compared to fixed wing and helicopter designs. The V-22 first flew in 1988 and after a long development was fielded in 2007. The design essentially combines the vertical takeoff ability of a helicopter, but the range of a fixed-wing airplane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing KC-767</span> 2000s American military tanker/transport aircraft

The Boeing KC-767 is a military aerial refueling tanker and transport aircraft developed from the Boeing 767-200ER. The tanker received the designation KC-767A, after being selected by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) initially to replace older KC-135Es. In December 2003, the contract was frozen and later canceled due to corruption allegations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing P-8 Poseidon</span> American maritime patrol aircraft

The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing EA-18G Growler</span> American electronic warfare aircraft

The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers in service with the United States Navy. The Growler's electronic warfare capability is primarily provided by Northrop Grumman. The EA-18G began production in 2007 and entered operational service with the US Navy in late 2009. Australia has also purchased thirteen EA-18Gs, which entered service with the Royal Australian Air Force in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton</span> Maritime version of RQ-4 Global Hawk

The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an American high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for and flown by the United States Navy as a surveillance aircraft. Together with its associated ground control station, it is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the Triton is intended to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions, continuous maritime surveillance, conduct search and rescue missions, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division</span> Military unit

The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) is an Echelon IV command of the United States Navy, reporting to the Commander, Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. NAWCTSD is located in Orlando, Florida in the Central Florida Research Park, adjacent to the University of Central Florida (UCF). The facility is a part of a larger military installation within the Central Florida Research Park known as Naval Support Activity Orlando.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System</span> American 2.75-inch precision guided rocket

The AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). APKWS is approximately one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KC-X</span> US Defense department procurement program for next-generation tanker aircraft

KC-X was the United States Air Force (USAF) program to procure its next-generation aerial refueling tanker aircraft to replace some of their older Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers. The contest was for a production contract for 179 new tankers with estimated value of US$35 billion. The two contenders to replace the KC-135 aircraft were Boeing and EADS, following the elimination of US Aerospace, Inc. from the bidding process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-179 JAGM</span> American air-to-surface missile

The AGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) is an American military program to develop an air-to-surface missile to replace the current air-launched BGM-71 TOW, AGM-114 Hellfire, and AGM-65 Maverick missiles. The U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps plan to buy thousands of JAGMs.

F/A-XX is a development and acquisition program for a future sixth-generation air superiority fighter to replace the United States Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and complement the F-35C beginning in the 2030s. A requirement was first identified in June 2008.

The Next Generation Jammer is a program to develop an airborne electronic warfare system, as a replacement for the AN/ALQ-99 found on the EA-18G military aircraft. It reached Initial Operating Capability in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack</span> Unmanned air vehicle by Boeing Insitu

The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack, company name Integrator, is an American unmanned air vehicle designed and built by Boeing Insitu to meet a United States Navy requirement for a small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS). It is a twin-boom, single-engine monoplane, designed as a supplement to the Boeing Scan Eagle. The Integrator weighs 61 kg (134 lb) and uses the same launcher and recovery system as the Scan Eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing MQ-25 Stingray</span> American military aerial refuelling drone

The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling drone that resulted from the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program, which grew out of the earlier Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. The MQ-25 first flew on 19 September 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk</span> US advanced pilot training aircraft

The Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk, initially known as the Boeing T-X, is an American/Swedish supersonic advanced jet trainer produced by Boeing with Saab. In September 2018, the United States Air Force (USAF) picked it for the T-X program to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon as the service's advanced jet trainer.

The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) is a United States Air Force (USAF) sixth-generation air superiority initiative with a goal of fielding a "family of systems" that is to succeed the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. A crewed fighter aircraft is the centerpiece program of NGAD and has been referred to as the Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform and is to be supported by uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), or loyal wingman platforms, through manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).

References

  1. Budget constraints delay new trainer - Airforcetimes.com, 15 May 2013
  2. "Navy Awards Contract to Buy Multi-Engine Training System Aircraft". NAVAIR.navy.mil. January 25, 2023. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  3. Budget Pressures Seen as Biggest Risk to Long Range Bomber Program Archived 2013-08-18 at archive.today Nationaldefensemagazine.org, September 2013.
  4. LsGrone, Sam. "MQ-25A Stingray IOC Pushed to 2026 Following Manufacturing Delays". USNI News.
  5. "Air Force chooses Boeing E-7 Wedgetail to replace old AWACS planes". Breaking Defense. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  6. "New paint design for 'Next Air Force One'". af.mil.
  7. USN, Industry Seek New Concepts For 6th-generation Fighter - Defensenews.com, 10 July 2013
  8. Tirpak, John (13 May 2021). "New Force Design: NGAD Needed Soon, F-22 Sunset Begins in 2030". Air Force Magazine.
  9. "FY2024 NDAA Bill Report" (PDF). United States Committee on Armed Services. pp. 405–406. Retrieved 26 Oct 2023.
  10. Tirpak, John. "Air Force Launches New Stealthy Tanker Program, with Delivery Projected for 2040". Air & Space Forces Magazine.
  11. "High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) Programme, USA". army-technology.com.
  12. US Army reveals details of Joint Multi-Role fleet vision - Flightglobal.com, 16 August 2011.
  13. Mizokami, Kyle. "The V-280 Valor Will Become the Army's Next-Gen Assault Transport". Popular Mechanics.
  14. Rocque, Ashley. "Army cancels FARA helicopter program, makes other cuts in major aviation shakeup". Breaking Defense, 8 February 2024.
  15. "VH-92A | NAVAIR - U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command - Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Research, Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation". Archived from the original on 2017-06-20. Retrieved 2017-07-01.