While the U.S. Air Force’s manned Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter has an uncertain future, the service is moving forward with upgrading sensors on the Lockheed Martin F-22.
On Aug. 29, the Air Force said that it has awarded RTX‘s Raytheon a contract that could be worth more than $1 billion to upgrade sensors for the F-22.
“Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by May 8, 2029,” according to a DoD contracts announcement.
The Air Force plans to retire its older, 32 Block 20 F-22s, but is undertaking a program to upgrade the remaining 154 F-22 Raptors with new cryptography, an expanded open architecture, new weapons, an infrared search and track sensor, and a “Project Keystone” effort to install an advanced threat warning receiver.
The program is to cost more than $4.3 billion between fiscal 2023 and 2029.
“The F-22 team is working really hard on executing a modernization roadmap to field advanced sensors, connectivity, weapons and other capabilities that are relevant to the INDOPACOM theater,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, the program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, said last month.
“The Raptor team recently conducted six flight test efforts to demo and assess advanced sensors on the F-22 required to complete an ongoing rapid prototyping MTA for the program,” he said. “That will lead to a decision on the rapid fielding MTA in the near future.”
MTA refers to Middle Tier of Acquisition, which is also a reference to rapid prototyping.
A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.