WASHINGTON — Th? U.S. Ai? F??c? ?l?ns t? ?w??? ? c?nt??ct ??? its N?xt G?n???ti?n Ai? D?min?nc? ?l?t???m in 2024.

Th? s??vic? s?i? in ? Th??s??? ??l??s? th?t it s?nt in??st?? ? cl?ssi?i?? s?licit?ti?n ??? ?n ?n?in???in? ?n? m?n???ct??in? ??v?l??m?nt c?nt??ct ??? th? s?c??tiv? ?n? hi?hl? cl?ssi?i?? NGAD ??????m.

Th? ??l??s? ?? this s?licit?ti?n ???m?ll? ???ins th? ???c?ss ?? s?l?ctin? ? c?nt??ct?? t? ??il? th? Ai? F??c?’s n?xt ??v?nc?? ?i?ht?? s?st?m, which will ???l?c? th? F-22 R??t??. Th? s?licit?ti?n c?m? with ????i??m?nts th? Ai? F??c? ?x??cts c?m??ni?s t? incl??? in th?i? NGAD ??si?ns.

H?w?v??, this s?licit?ti?n ?n? s???c?-s?l?cti?n ???c?ss ???s n?t incl??? th? ???n? win?m?n th? Ai? F??c? ?????s t? ?s c?ll?????tiv? c?m??t ?i?c???t, th? s??vic? s?i?.

“Th? NGAD ?l?t???m is ? vit?l ?l?m?nt ?? th? ?i? ??min?nc? ??mil? ?? s?st?ms, which ?????s?nts ? ??n???ti?n?l l??? in t?chn?l??? ?v?? th? F-22, which it will ???l?c?,” Ai? F??c? S?c??t??? F??nk K?n??ll s?i? in th? ??l??s?. “NGAD will incl??? ?tt?i??t?s s?ch ?s ?nh?nc?? l?th?lit? ?n? th? ??iliti?s t? s??viv?, ???sist, int???????t? ?n? ????t in th? ?i? ??m?in, ?ll within hi?hl? c?nt?st?? ?????ti?n?l ?nvi??nm?nts.”

“N? ?n? ???s this ??tt?? th?n th? U.S. Ai? F??c?, ??t w? will l?s? th?t ???? i? w? ??n’t m?v? ???w??? n?w,” K?n??ll ?????.

Th? Ai? F??c? h?s ?????t??l? s?i? its c?nc??t ??? ?n NGAD ?l?t???m will n?t ?x?ctl? mi???? ? t???iti?n?l c??w?? ?i?ht?? s?ch ?s th? F-22 ?? F-35, ??t will inst??? ?? ? “??mil? ?? s?st?ms” th?t inc??????t?s ? c??w?? ?i?c???t c?m??n?nt ?s w?ll ?s c?ll?????tiv? c?m??t ?i?c???t. Inc???s?? s?ns?? c????iliti?s ?s w?ll ?s ??v?nc?? ??iliti?s t? c?nn?ct with s?t?llit?s, ?th?? ?i?c???t ?? ?th?? ?ss?ts c??l? ?ls? ?? ???t ?? NGAD’s ??mil? ?? s?st?ms.

Th? Ai? F??c? ?n Th??s??? s?i? its ?c??isiti?n st??t??? ??? NGAD “will invi????t? ?n? ??????n th? in??st?i?l ??s? t? ??liv?? ???i? ?n? inn?v?tiv? w???i?htin? c????iliti?s.”

As th? s??vic? ??v?l??s NGAD, th? st?t?m?nt s?i?, it will ?s? l?ss?ns l???n?? ???m ?th?? ??c?nt ?c??isiti?n ??????ms, ?n? will ?s? ???n-??chit?ct??? st?n????s. Th? s??vic? s?i? this will ?ll?w it t? t?k? ??v?nt??? ?? ?s m?ch c?m??titi?n ?s ??ssi?l? th????h??t NGAD’s li?? c?cl?, c???t? ? l????? ?n? m??? ??s??nsiv? in??st?i?l ??s?, ?n? c?t ??wn ?n m?int?n?nc? ?n? s?st?inm?nt c?sts.

Th? Ai? F??c? s?i? ?th?? t?chnic?l ?n? ??????mm?tic ??t?ils ?n NGAD ??? cl?ssi?i?? “t? ???t?ct ?????ti?n?l ?n? t?chn?l??ic?l ??v?nt???s.”

K?n??ll ?n? ?th?? s??vic? ???ici?ls s?i? l?st ???? th?? h??? t? st??t ?i?l?in? th? c??w?? c?m??n?nt ?? NGAD ?? th? ?n? ?? th? ??c???, with c?ll?????tiv? c?m??t ?i?c???t ??ssi?l? ???ivin? ?i?st.

In J?n? 2022, K?n??ll ??is?? ??????ws wh?n h? s?i? ?t ? H??it??? F??n??ti?n ?v?nt th?t th? s??vic? h?? “n?w st??t?? ?n th? EMD ??????m t? ?? th? ??v?l??m?nt ?i?c???t th?t w?’?? ??in? t? t?k? int? ?????cti?n” — ? ??m??k th?t s?m? t??k t? m??n NGAD w?s ?l????? in th? ?n?in???in? ?n? m?n???ct??in? ??v?l??m?nt st???.

K?n??ll l?t?? w?lk?? ??ck th?s? c?mm?nts, ?x?l?inin? th?t h? w?s ?sin? th? t??m EMD in ? c?ll???i?l s?ns?. H? s?i? NGAD w?s still ??in? ??si?n?? ?n? h?? n?t ??t ??n? th????h th? Mil?st?n? B ??vi?w ???c?ss.

Mil?st?n? B m??ks th? ??int wh??? ? ??????m’s t?chn?l??? m?t???ti?n ?h?s? ?inish?s ?n? ?n ?c??isiti?n ??????m ???m?ll? st??ts in which th? s??vic? t?k?s its ???limin??? ??si?n ?n? ??c?s?s ?n s?st?m int????ti?n, m?n???ct??in? ???c?ss?s ?n? ?th?? ??t?ils ?h??? ?? ?????cti?n.

Ai? F??c? s??k?sw?m?n Ann St???n?k s?i? in ?n ?m?il t? D???ns? N?ws th?t wh?n th? s???c?-s?l?cti?n ???c?ss ?inish?s, NGAD will ?? t? th? s??vic?’s t?? ?c??isiti?n ???ici?l — wh? is n?w An???w H?nt?? — ??? th? Mil?st?n? B ??cisi?n t? ?w??? th? EMD c?nt??ct t? th? winnin? c?m??n?.

B??in?, N??th??? G??mm?n ?n? L?ckh??? M??tin h?v? ?x???ss?? int???st in ???s?in? th? Ai? F??c?’s NGAD c?nt??ct.

It’s ?ncl??? h?w m?ch th? c?nt?ct w??l? ?? w??th, ??t K?n??ll t?l? l?wm?k??s in ?n A??il 2022 h???in? th?t ??ch ?i?c???t c??l? c?st “m?lti?l?” h?n????s ?? milli?ns ?? ??ll??s, th???h h? ?i? n?t ??t s??ci?ic ????t th? ??t?nti?l ??ic? t??.