The U.S Air Force has established the Air Dominance Combined Test Force (CTF) under the 412th Test Wing at Edwards AFB, Calif.
“The F-22 Raptor Combined Test Force has formally transitioned into the Air Dominance Combined Test Force and will be tasked with flight testing the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Family of Systems,” the 412th Test Wing said last month. “While the Air Dominance CTF will continue to test enhancements for the F-22 to maintain lethality against immediate threats, work will also include planning and execution of integrated flight test campaigns for the NGAD Family of Systems.”
Lockheed Martin [LMT] is the F-22 contractor.
The 412th Test Wing said that the Air Dominance CTF will have developmental test (DT), operational test (OT), program office, and contractor personnel and that combining DT and OT “allows the CTF to test systems against contracted design, while simultaneously testing for real-world operational environments.”
A July 10 Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) said that the White House opposed the NGAD “program deferment” proposed by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in its version of the fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill. HASC recommends cutting the Air Force’s more than $2.3 billion fiscal 2024 request for NGAD by $550.6 million.
The SAP said that the reduction “would delay the Engineering and Manufacturing Development contract award, reduce industry staffing on the current contracts, and require deferral of other related efforts planned in FY 2024.”
“Additionally, given the intent to leverage NGAD software development for direct support to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the proposed reductions to NGAD would increase the risk to and cost of the CCA program,” the White House said.