With the recent revelation that the Air Force intends to choose a winning design for its new air superiority fighter, being developed within the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, many have found themselves wondering just how far along this program may actually be. After all, it’s already been nearly three years since Air Force officials disclosed the fact that an NGAD technology demonstrator had not only already flown, but had even broken records. Now, however, it seems evident that a final design hasn’t been chosen for this new crewed stealth fighter that’s expected to offer such a significant leap in capability over existing top-tier 5th-generation jets like the F-22 and F-35 that it’s already being described as a 6th generation fighter. And while the Air Force has been clear that there are more than two firms competing to field the winning design, it seems that at least two firms have an inside track.Let’s talk about what we know about the three leading aerospace firms, their 6th generation fighter proposals, and what the NGAD fighter may ultimately look like.