Will next-generation Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) air-to-air fighter jets be prohibitively expensive?

WASHINGTON – By now, we've gotten accustomed to sticker shock when it comes to the cost of brand-new bombers and fighter jets (hello, F-35). But the plane that would replace both the F-22 Raptor and F-15 Eagle could reach a staggering cost of $300 million per plane. Popular Mechanics reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

18 Dec. 2018 -- That figure comes from a new study called “The Cost of Replacing Today’s Air Force Fleet," which was published by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and first reported by Defense News.

The report attempted to calculate the future cost of Penetrating Counter Air (PCA), which is the current name of the U.S. Air Force’s next superiority fighter jet.

PCA is meant to replace the current fleet of F-22s and F-15s, taking its place as the service’s dedicated air-to-air fighter when it enters service in 2030. Unlike the Air Force's F-35A, which is meant to carry out both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, PCA will be focused solely on the skies, optimized to fight and win against current and future aerial threats including the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 and China’s J-20 fighter.

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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics

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