Navy Maturing Next-Generation Air Dominance Acquisition Approach

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has acknowledged that it has stood up a program office for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program and is maturing the acquisition approach for the carrier-based power projection concept.

The Navy has taken a go-slow approach to acknowledging the existence of the NGAD program office, given its highly classified nature. Seapower sent a query on June 10 to the Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)), but the Navy did not make a statement until two months later.

During an Aug. 12 teleconference with reporters with James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, responding to a question from Seapower, confirmed that the program office has been established. Guerts said the program was in its early stages and that the Navy and U.S. Air Force are working to avoid duplicating each other’s efforts.

On Aug. 17, PEO(T) responded to Seapower’s original query with a statement: “As part of the Navy’s commitment to building a more lethal force, the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Program Office (PMA-230) has been established under the Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft Programs (PEO(T)).

“PMA-230 was established on May 7, 2020, by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition per SECNAV’s [secretary of the Navy’s] and CNO’s [chief of naval operations’] direction to develop the next generation air dominance capabilities that will provide advanced carrier-based power projection capabilities that operate in advanced anti-access/area denial threat environments,” the statement said. “The capabilities being pursued are informed by the Navy’s NGAD Analysis of Alternatives.”

PEO(T) added on Aug. 19 that, “We are currently maturing the NGAD acquisition approach to support the NGAD Program Office activities.

Capt. Albert Mousseau Jr. is the program manager for PMA-230.