What is Next-Generation Aircraft?

This effort aims to rethink and dramatically advance every aspect of the U.S. aviation system to make it more efficient, convenient, safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable, including expanding where and how air transport is used. Since aircraft move passengers, deliver mail and packages, manage emergency and rescue operations, and more, it is important to make and use of next-generation aircraft on all platforms and types.

Broadly, NGA development can be split into two forward-moving paths:

1. Developing all-new aircraft designs that fulfill next-gen program objectives that often look and operate in new ways. Many of these new innovations are the result of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation programs and can vary widely in size, structure, means of propulsion, wing shapes, power storage, materials, control and navigation systems, and capabilities. All of these advancements focus on redefining an aircraft so it can fulfill evolving air transportation and delivery demands and infrastructures. This revolutionary approach can be expensive and take a decade or more to establish.
2. Acting within the structures and systems that make up today's aircraft designs – from narrow-body and regional commercial jets to helicopters, cargo planes, and military aircraft – but replacing key components and systems with new technologies that evolve each aircraft to support next-gen goals within current platform "shells." In this method, aircraft look and feel the same, but engines, flying systems, fuels, and controls are replaced with faster, smarter, more sustainable, energy-efficient, and flexible alternatives.

Both paths are valid, but an integrated mix of each is necessary to ensure the success of next-generation aircraft and the next-gen program.

How do next-generation military aircraft fit into next-gen?

Aircraft developed exclusively for military use, such as next generation fixed-wing jets, unmanned bombers, attack helicopters, and more, are developed under the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and its Departments of the Air Force (USAF), Army (US Army), and Navy (USN), plus special research programs, so they are not part of the FAA’s next-gen program. For example, the USAF oversees the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program for the development of next generation fighter aircraft, which would not generally have civil applications. However, military use of aircraft is extensive and includes a wide enough variety of aircraft that several NGA technologies developed for commercial or civil use through the next-gen program will most certainly be adapted for military use at some point. In addition, the FAA and the DoD have a cooperative relationship in managing the use of domestic and some international airspace, so although civil and military aircraft are developed separately and typically use separate infrastructures, there is some crossover in assuring that all such aircraft operate safely across both civilian and military environments.

What innovations qualify a NGA as “Next-Generation?”

Whether a "next-generation" aircraft is a brand-new design from nose to tail or a more traditional design updated with new technologies, systems, and capabilities throughout, both the FAA and the DoD require a number of core improvements that help solve real-world problems. Among these improvements are, but not limited to:

• Aviation sustainability is achieved using revolutionary propulsion, power, wing design, fabrication, and other technologies that cut carbon emissions, increase upgradability, enhance efficiencies, and use cleaner fuels, such as hydrogen, electricity (battery electric, solar electric, hybrid-electric, wind power, etc.), aviation biofuels (Sustainable Aviation Fuel or SAF), and other clean energies.
• Autonomy in pilotage, navigation, communication, safety, tracking, and defensive systems allows flight crews to focus on key priorities while expanding the capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for commercial, civil, and military use. These systems typically use level one or two autonomy. However, it may use up to level five autonomy, requiring a range of over-the-horizon electronic sensors, advanced signal processing for “intelligent” decision-making, and much more.
• Zero-emission innovations that create or support highly reliable aircraft to transport people, packages, food, mail, medicine, and more while emitting no greenhouse gases. These are mostly battery electric or hydrogen propulsion systems and the energy management, control, storage, and power conversion systems that make them possible.
• Low emissions solutions that improve the overall aircraft fuel efficiency regardless of the energy source, while also making more efficient use of any carbon-based aviation fuels that are still required - as hybrid-electric systems do - until zero emissions can be achieved.
• Aircraft electrification technologies to enable all-electric aircraft, optimizing aerospace use with high-density batteries, smart battery management, and other energy management systems, as well as integrated control systems, advanced power conversion, and more. These systems not only support NGA sustainability and emissions goals, but also expand the number of possible renewable energy sources and offer more ways to make legacy aircraft useful again.
• Structural designs that support shorter, point-to-point use of the air space economically, especially for commercial, medical, and emergency use in urban and underserved areas. This includes AAM program designs like Electric Vertical Take-Off & Landing (eVTOL) and Electric Conventional Take-Off & Landing (eCTOL) aircraft, but also electric-hybrid and autonomous flight configurations.
• Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC) reduce carbon emissions by optimizing the performance of current engines while supporting advanced electric, hybrid, and other new propulsion systems. FADECs also increase safety, offer autonomous options, support hypersonic flight, and make maintenance faster, easier, and more environmentally responsible.
• Flight controls – especially fly-by-wire systems – that make both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft easier to fly, monitor, and update in both manned and unmanned aircraft. These advanced controls make aircraft more agile and flexible, and are essential to the feasibility of the AAM and Advanced Urban Mobility solutions now in development.
• Cabin management and network systems that are advanced and can be adjusted to fit any size of commercial, business, or military aircraft. These systems need to have easy-to-use controls, a high network bandwidth, and the flexibility that modern airlines and flight crews need to give passengers the comforts they expect.

Related topics to explore

Advanced Air Mobility • Advanced Materials • Advanced Network Solutions • Aircraft Electrification • All-Electric Aircraft • Commercial Aviation Support • Electric Aircraft Avionics • Electric Aircraft Platforms • Electric Energy Management Systems • Electric Hybrid Aircraft • Energy Storage Systems • FADEC • Flight Deck Systems • Fly-by-Wire Controls for Electric Aircraft • Integrated Control Systems • Mission Systems • Power Management and Conversion • Urban Air Mobility