US Air Force Aircraft Acquisition Programs

America

US Air Force Aircraft Acquisition Programs

1947 - Present

(incomplete)

GOR SAB-52-1

General Operational Requirement Supersonic Aircraft Bomber 1952-1.
1 September 1952.
Multi-mission all-weather high alitude supersonic strategic small reconnaissance bomber.
Based on revised GOR SAB-51 (Directive Number 34).
10,000 lb bomb load.
5,000 mile combat radius with one IFR.
Boeing Model 701 XB-59.
Convair Model 4 XB-58 Hustler.
18 November 1952 - B-58 selected as winner.

LRIX

Long-Range Interceptor, eXperimental.
Convair F-106 Delta Dart successor.
6 October 1955, project initiated.
6 June 1957, contract for two prototypes awarded to North American.
Cancelled September 1959.
North American NA-257 XF-108 Rapier.

UCX

Utility Transport, eXperimental.
1957.
Beech C-45 Expediter replacement.
Lockheed Model 1329 C-140 JetStar (winner).
McDonnell Model 119.

CX-4

Heavy strategic airlift transport.
1968.
Lockheed Model 500 C-5 Galaxy.

DDV

Discretionary Descent Vehicle.
1968.
Bensen B-8 X-25.

IFA

International Fighter Aircraft.
1970.
F-5 Freedom Fighter successor.
Lockheed CL-1200.
LTV V-1000.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom derivative.
Northrop F-5 Tiger II (winner).

Credible Chase

Light armed STOL aircraft.
May 1971.
Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker.
Helio H-550 AU-24 Stallion.

Pave Coin

Combat evaluation of Credible Chase program.
Light gunship with 7.62 mm Minigun.
June - July 1971.
Piper Enforcer.
Beech F-33 Bonanza YAU-22A.
Fairchild AU-23 Peacemaker.
Helio AU-24 Stallion.
Cancelled 1972.

F-X

Fighter - eXperimental.
Boeing F-X.
Fairchild Republic F-X.
General Dynamics F-X.
Grumman F-X.
Lockheed F-X.
LTV F-X.
McDonnell Douglas F-15 (winner).
North American Rockwell F-X.

A-X

Attack - eXperimental.
6 March 1967 - initial RFP issued.
8 May 1970 - revised RFP.
Boeing A-X.
Cessna A-X.
Fairchild Republic YA-10A (winner).
General Dynamics A-X.
Lockheed A-X.
Northrop YA-9A.

LWF

Light Weight Fighter.
1972.
Boeing Model 908-909.
General Dynamics Model 401-16B YF-16 (winner).
LTV V-1100.
Lockheed CL-1200 Lancer, CL-1600.
Northrop P-600 YF-17.

AMST

Advanced Medium STOL Transport.
Boeing Model 953 YC-14.
McDonnell Douglas YC-15.

XST

eXperimental Survivable Testbed.
1974: DARPA requests proposals from Boeing, General Dynamics, Grumman, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop.
1975: contracts awarded to Northrop, McDonnell Douglas; private venture by Lockheed.
Phase I, September 1975: Northrop and Lockheed selected to design small prototype.
December 1975 - January 1976: RCS tests of 1/3 scale models.
Northrop XST.
Lockheed XST.
Phase II, April 1976: Lockheed awarded contract for two Have Blue prototypes.
November 1978: Lockheed award contract for five FSD Senior Trend prototypes.

Rockwell NGT

C-X

Transport, eXperimental.
McDonnell Douglas C-17.

NGT

Next Generation Trainer.
Cessna T-37 successor.
Rockwell NGT.
Fairchild T-46 Eaglet chosen as winner, 1982.
Cancelled 1986 due to mismanagement and budgetary issues.

ETF / DRF

Enhanced Tactical Fighter / Dual-Role Fighter.
Early 1980's.
General Dynamics F-111 successor.
McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (winner).
General Dynamics F-16XL Fighting Falcon.

Fairchild T-46 Eaglet

CAS/BAI

Close Air Support / Battlefield Air Interdiction.
Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II successor.
General Dynamics A-16.
Vought YA-7F Strikefighter.
A-16 winner, but cancelled in favor of modifying 400 Block 30 F-16C/D for CAS role and retaining A-10.

NASP

National AeroSpace Plane.
X-30.

ATB

Advanced Technology Bomber.
1977: USAF Sabre Penetrator study for penetration bomber.
1978: ATB program initiated to develop high/medium altitude penetration bomber.
Boeing ATB.
Lockheed / Rockwell Senior Peg.
Northrop / Boeing / LTV N-14 Senior Ice.
20 October 1981: Northrop / Boeing / LTV award contract for production as Senior C.J.

ATF

Advanced Technology Fighter.
November 1981: program initiated for F-15 replacement.
September 1985: RFP for Senior Sky program.
Initial ATF contenders, 1986:
- Boeing ATF.
- General Dynamics ATF.
- Grumman ATF.
- Lockheed ATF.
- McDonnell Douglas ATF.
- Northrop ATF.
- Rockwell ATF.
Joint contenders, October 1986:
- Boeing - General Dynamics - Lockheed Model 631 YF-22.
- McDonnell Douglas - Northrop YF-23.
April 1986: Naval ATF proposed for USN to replace F-14.
23 April 1991: YF-22 selected for production.

MRF

Multi-Role Fighter.
Strike replacement for General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon; possible replacement for Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II and USN McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
1990 - 1993.
October 1991: Request for Information issued.
Emphasis on large number of affordable aircraft.
August 1992: program on hold.
Cancelled September 1993 in favor of JAST program.

ABL

AirBorne Laser.
Boeing Model 747-4G4F YAL-1.

Future-X

Space Maneuver Vehicle testbed.
Boeing X-37.

FATE

Future Aircraft Technology Enhancements.
X-39?

CAV

Common Aero Vehicle.
X-41?

UCAV

Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.
Boeing X-45.
Lockheed Martin UCAV.
Northrop Grumman UCAV.

FSA

Future Strike Aircraft.
B-3.

Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft

Rapidly develop, acquire, test, field and sustain advanced, airborne integrated ground and air surveillance and targeting capabilites to provide the warfighter a battle management, intelligence, communications force multiplier that detects, classifies, characterizes and reports air and surface targets to joint forces within a networked Multi-Sensor Command and Control Constellation (MC2C) environment; assuring US and coalition forces preserve peace, control crises, and win wars.
Northrop Grumman E-10.

KC-X AMA

Advanced Mobility Aircraft.
Planned IFR tanker and airlift aircraft.

PRV

Personnel Recovery Vehicle.
CSAR replacement of HH-60G Pave Hawk.
132 - 141 required.
Initial RFP early 2005.
Final RFP May 2005.
Sikorsky H-92 Superhawk.
Team US101 US101.
Northrop Grumman EADS NH90.
Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey.
April 2005: Northrop Grumman EADS "withdrew from the competition when it became clear the 23,000 lb helicopter could not satisfy PRV range requirements."

CVLSP

Common Vertical Lift Support Platform.
Missile site support and VIP transport replacement of Bell UH-1N.
64 required.
Previously part of PRV program.

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Originally posted 18 November 2005
Modified: 01/01/2006