The Defense Department is hard at work on developing a new generation of aviation systems that put enemy air forces to shame. Programs like the Army’s Future Vertical Lift and Air Force’s Next-Gen Air Dominance aim to invigorate U.S. air defenses and strike capabilities by incorporating new additive manufacturing techniques and mission systems that can deliver improved stealth, speed, and system evolutions to a degree not seen before. A new generation of aviation systems creates new challenges. With development potentially taking a decade or more, coordinating engineering, design, manufacturing, materials and labor is a careful balancing act that requires understanding all of the potential points of failure throughout the process and being prepared to address them. These challenges are only exacerbated by the other challenges inherent to developing new aviation systems: industrial supply chain shortages, complications in manned-unmanned teaming, and increasingly volatile or corrosive flight environments. In this C4ISRNET webcast, we’ll look at how the DoD is paving the way to air dominance for the new generation, and how they plan to address obstacles standing in the way of success.

Director, Future Vertical Lift, Cross-Functional Team,
Army Futures Command

Product Development Manager, Aerospace and Defense,
Carpenter Technology