Defense appropriators have recommended significant cuts to certain aircraft and weapons systems, while increasing funding for others, allowing for greater acquisition than originally planned.
As the U.S. government officially announced the award of the contract to Boeing for the Air Force’s NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance), while also designating the jet as F-47, the project and its CCAs (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) have been recommended for significant cuts by U.S. Congressmen. The B-21 Raider, currently being developed by Northrop Grumman, has also been recommended for a funding cut in the tables.
Republican leaders of the House and Senate, Rep. Ken Calvert and Rep. Mitch McConnell, have recommended their own plans to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about how the Pentagon should spend its fiscal year 2025 funding. The Congressmen suggested cuts and bumps for a variety of high-ticket and mid-level weapons programs, which they think should be prioritized.
The 181-page document acquired by Breaking Defense and Defense News, however, is not legally binding, with experts pointing out that President Donald Trump’s administration may place more emphasis on the executive power of the White House, over the legislature.
There is actually a second image of the F-47 https://t.co/X3JG0DLo7B pic.twitter.com/kRqVFz0iju
— Fighterman_FFRC (@Fighterman_FFRC) March 21, 2025
F-47 NGAD and CCAs
The lawmakers proposed a $325 million reduction for the F-47 NGAD, which they didn’t justify but simply called a “classified adjustment,” bringing it down to $2.4 billion in FY25. However, now that the Trump administration has approved the program, it is unlikely they would consider this recommendation. Additionally, while the current and previous administrations have differed on Russia, they have aligned on a hardline policy toward China, which flew two so-called sixth generation jets, making NGAD a likely priority.
The need for the NGAD was even indicated in the fact that the Trump administration approved the project in a formal press conference, despite the “strategic pause” initiated by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in mid-2024, re-evaluating the need for an ultra-expensive sixth generation jet. The Air Force’s review concluded in December 2024, supporting the development of a manned, next-generation fighter.
The service and Department of the Air Force decided to leave the decision for the new incoming administration, which eventually approved the project, indicating both the U.S. Air Force and the administration see the importance to maintain the air dominance edge before peer adversaries. As reported by The Aviationist, NGAD is currently the most expensive program in the Air Force’s research and development budget, with the 2025 budget request including $19.6 billion in the next five years.
The Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract awarded to Boeing is estimated to be worth over €20 billion, which would be followed by hundreds of billions of dollars in orders over the contract’s lifetime. Some estimates put the price of each airframe at $300 million, while others conclude a $600 million-a-piece tag, although the Chief of Staff of the Air Force suggested a much lower price.
The document also classifies the CCA program as its own line item, different from the part of the NGAD project under which it was funded to fly alongside the advanced jet, and proposes slashing more than $70 million. CCAs would have nearly $487 million in funding this year if the document’s recommendations are accepted. Anduril and General Atomics are developing their own products for the CCA program.
B-21 Raider
The B-21 Raider has also faced a $78 million “classified adjustment” cut, at a time when the USAF has expressed the need for 145 airframes of the strategic stealth bomber, instead of the 100 currently planned. This was stated by the head of the STRATCOM (U.S. Strategic Command), Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, at the McAleese and Associates annual Defense Programs Conference on Mar. 18, 2025. This was the first time the figure of 145 was explicitly mentioned.
First ever B-21 raider air to air photo pic.twitter.com/Mkf03vgpBe
— Fighterman_FFRC (@Fighterman_FFRC) May 23, 2024
This, along with the F-47 NGAD and the CCAs, was part of the need for an “high-end penetrating capability,” according to USAF Gen. David Allvin, who however did not explicitly refer to the next-generation jet. The Air Force had initially sought to procure 1,000 CCAs, which are also expected to work alongside the Raider. Northrop Grumman in Jan. 2025 announced a second LRIP (Low Rate Initial Production) contract awarded before the end of 2024.
Aviation Week reported in 2024 that the B-21 budget for the first five production lots went from the $19.1 billion budgeted by the U.S. Air Force in 2023 to the $13.8 billion budgeted for 2025. The decrease amounts to a 28% discount, or $5.1 billion, for the same number of bombers to be acquired between 2023 and 2027.
Breaking Defense quoted Todd Harrison, a budget analyst at the American Enterprise Institute: “In any prior administration, this letter would have been significant, and I think DoD would have, by default, tried to adhere to it. I think this administration has a very different view on executive power, and I don’t think that they will pay much regard to this letter at all,” he said.
Other aircraft and weapons facing cuts and increases
The recommendations suggest $240 million more for the National Guard’s Gray Eagle UAS; $60 million for the National Guard’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters; a complete cut to additional C-40 aircraft, citing a “lack of acquisition strategy;” and also cuts about $75 million from the KC-46 Pegasus program for an unspecified program delay and other unjustified costs.
Munitions acquisitions that were trimmed include the AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile), with almost $58 million less; $21 million cut for the SiAW (Stand-In Attack Weapon); a cut of about $6 million for Small Diameter Bomb IIs, and cuts of about $5 million each for the Joint Air Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and AIM-9X.
Other Air Force programs
Other Air Force programs have received generous bumps. These include the next-generation engine project, referred to as the Adaptive Cycle Engines, that would power the F-47, with another $100 million recommended. Late in February, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric announced the conclusion of the DDRs (Detailed Design Review) of their respective power plants developed for this project. P&W, now part of RTX, announced the DDR for its XA103 engine on Feb. 20, 2025, while General Electric announced the DDR for its XA102 engine a day prior, on Feb. 19.
Lawmakers also gave an overall bump of $189 million for the E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft, over the 2025 budget request. The Air Force plans to acquire 26 of the Boeing-made aircraft, which are planned to replace the older E-3 Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System).
Additionally, the F-35 Lightning II also benefited positively, as the Air Force would get another $196 million for two more F-35As, with the Navy being recommended $524 million for four more F-35Cs. Another $10 million would go for improving the F-35s thermal management system, while the stealth fighter’s C2D2 (Continuous Capability Development and Delivery) program meant to incrementally develop, test and field upgrades, would receive more than $1.1 billion.
The document also recommends allotting an additional $200 million for the HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter program to buy two more units than the ones requested.
