USAF prefers F-X rather than restarting F-22 production line

At a U.S. Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, the Air Force told lawmakers that the service prefers to procure a new fighter under the F-X program than restarting the F-22 production line.

Northrop 6th gen
Graphic: Northrop Grumman

Lt. Gen. James Holmes, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, added that the next fighter shouldn’t take more than twenty to thirty years to develop.

Fighter manufacturers might leverage on existing technologies, modify them to compete for the F-X program, he added.