Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks celebrated 80 years on the cutting edge of aviation technology with what might be a glimpse of a new manned fighter planform. The company is among those vying for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program and that will involve a manned fighter working with drones in theater. The new plane will replace the F-22 Raptor, older versions of which are already being decommissioned. The Air Force has set the bar high for the new plane, which will be expected to take out aerial and ground targets.
Skunkworks marked its 80th anniversary with social media posts featuring silhouettes of the iconic designs that have emerged from its high desert hangars. Tucked in with those planforms was one that had never been seen before, and the prominent inclusion of a canopy left little doubt about what it was, although nothing can be confirmed. As for the shape, physics has long dictated the basics for fast, stealthy airplanes so the real magic will be inside. The Air Force officially announced the NGAD program in May, but it’s likely that Lockheed and other airframers have been working on their designs for years, if not decades.
