Content Library | Air Dominance Summit

Twenty years after the first production model of the F-35 was introduced to the armed services, the sixth generation of fighter aircrafts are beginning to enter development. The Air Force was the first service branch to make headway in the realm of sixth-generation fighters when its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) selected Boeing to lead the manufacturing and development of the F-47.

Following the Air Force is the Navy, whose NGAD equivalent, F-A/XX, is beginning to gain some traction at the start of 2026. The Navy’s next-generation air dominance program will replace the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler fleets. This report will look at progress on F-A/XX, including the latest funding secured in this year’s NDAA.

IDGA’s Air Dominance summit brings together air domain experts from across the U.S. armed services, allies, industry, and academia to discuss these next-generation platforms like F-A/XX. The two-day summit taking place May 12-13 in Henderson, Nevada, will also feature discussions on U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs, sustainment of current systems, logistics challenges, reflect on current conflicts, advanced weapon systems, and explore innovation in air supremacy.

Defence IQ, the international defense sister to IDGA, published its annual “International Fighter Global Market Report” this past fall. The 57-page market report covered everything from emerging technologies to the latest procurement figures, to regional breakdowns of ongoing air superiority programs.

The following is one portion of the market report looking specifically at two of the largest sixth-generation aircraft programs in the world, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), programs that share similarities to the U.S. equivalent, Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD). This report highlights key industry players, timelines, and international collaborators for both FCAS and GCAP.

IDGA’s Air Dominance Summit, taking place May 12-13 in Henderson, Nevada, provides the aviation community with an opportunity to have in-person conversations regarding these sixth-generation aircraft programs. In its fourth year, the summit has consistently brought together leaders from across the defense and aerospace communities, including the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, allied nations, industry, and academia. This year’s summit will continue to highlight the sixth-generation aircraft programs, as well as covering sustainment of current systems, logistics challenges, advanced weapon systems, and explore innovation in air supremacy.

When IDGA’s Air Dominance Summit returns for its fourth year this May 12- 13 in Henderson, Nevada, it might look a little different than years past. That’s because, in 2026, IDGA is proud to welcome General (Ret.) Glen VanHerck, former commander of US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), as the events co-chair. With decades of experience leading the nation’s homeland defense enterprise and flying frontline platforms from the F-15C and F-35A to the B-2 and B-1, General VanHerck brings a uniquely deep perspective on the future of airpower.

As the U.S. and its allies accelerate work on sixth-generation fighters, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and advanced sensing and data systems, the 2026 Air Dominance Summit will gather leaders from across the Air Force, Navy, industry, and academia to examine how these technologies are redefining air dominance.

To preview this year’s event, IDGA sat down with General VanHerck to discuss the evolving meaning of air dominance, the most pressing airborne threats to the homeland, and what the joint force must do to maintain decision advantage in an era of rapid technological change.

The future of air combat is being shaped by two ambitious sixth-generation fighter programs: the United States’ NGAD (F-47) and Europe’s FCAS. This infographic provides a side-by-side comparison of the two initiatives, highlighting their timelines, costs, industry players, and defining technologies. The goal is to give a clear, at-a-glance overview of how these programs stack up against each other and where they diverge.

Delivered by Colonel Ryan Hayde, Commander of the 505th Command and Control Wing (CCW), U.S. Air Force, at our 2025 Air Dominance Summit, this presentation delves into:

• 505th CCW priorities to improve multi-domain C2 for air superiority 
• Bamboo Eagle overview
• Test, evaluation, and training C2 capabilities, challenges, and strategy 
• Communications & situational awareness 
• U.S. air superiority strategy 

In May 2025, IDGA hosted its 3rd iteration of the Air Dominance Summit in Henderson, Nevada. The two-day summit brought together leaders from across the defense and aerospace communities, including the US Air Force, the US Navy, allied nations, industry, and academia, to build on conversations from years past. That includes discussions on loyal wingman programs like the Collaborative Combat Aircraft and sixth-generation fighter programs, including the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance, the Navy’s FAXX, and international programs like FCAS and GCAP. Aerospace leaders also shared insights on sustainment for current systems, including the F-35, reflected on current conflicts, and explored innovation in air supremacy.

In order to glean insights from the various leaders who spoke at this year’s summit, IDGA has assembled the following post-show report. This document not only highlights key takeaways from the summit but also includes results from on-site polling, testimonials from attendees, and a list of attending organizations.

This past May, IDGA hosted the Air Dominance Summit, which featured two days of thought-provoking discussion surrounding the U.S. military's quest for air superiority. During the event, attendees came together from across the aerospace defense community, representing the US Air Force, the US Navy, allied nations, industry, and academia. Speakers at last year’s summit discussed fifth- and sixth-generation fighter programs, including the F-47, F/A-XX, CCA, FCAS, and GCAP, reflected on ongoing conflicts, and explored innovation in air supremacy.

Throughout the event, attendees were urged to participate in live polling to analyze the air superiority efforts of the U.S. Armed Forces. The following infographic displays how attendees responded to topics such as the U.S. Navy's air capabilities, the alignment of ongoing air defense efforts, and more.

View the 2025 Attendee Snapshot to find out who attended last year's Air Dominance Summit in Henderson, Nevada and is likely to return in 2026.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to network with industry leaders, build new connections, share best practices, and explore innovations in air supremacy.

Download the 32-page market report to gain the following insights:

• Latest funding figures and updates for Air Force and Navy air dominance programs
• A look at air superiority efforts from near-peers such as Russia and China
• Updates on FCAS and GCAP programs
• Overview of fighter aircraft programs around the world
  

This visual guide focusing on the future of air superiority & next-gen fighters, explores:

• Fighter aircraft markets
• Sixth-generation aircraft programs
• NGAD fighter priorities
• Six phases of NGAP efforts
• Russia & China's sixth-generation aircraft programs

This presentation was delivered at a previous Air Dominance summit by Dr. Steven "CAP" Rogers, Senior Scientist, Artificial Intelligence Enabled Autonomy, Air Force Research Laboratory on an enduring asymmetric AI advantage, and covers:

• Artificial Intelligence for Air Dominance
• Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD)
• Autonomous Air Combat Operations (AACO)
• Safe, Trusted Autonomy for Responsible Spacecraft (STARS)
• CCA Variants - Increasing the Lethality, Survivability, and Capacity
  

Admiral (Ret.) William “Bill” Gortney retired from the Navy as the sixth commander of United States Northern Command and the 23rd commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Following his retirement, he accepted the role of chairman for IDGA’s Air Dominance Summit.

Before last year's summit, IDGA sat down with Admiral Gortney to discuss the history of air dominance, international collaboration, and what he’s looking forward to at the conference.

Want to know whether IDGA's Air Dominance Summit is the right place to build relationships, showcase your solutions, or elevate your brand?

The 2026 Prospectus gives you:

• A preview of the industry and military experts taking the stage
• A snapshot of the seniority and influence of past attendees
• An insight into our two esteemed chairs 
• A clear breakdown of sponsorship and networking opportunities

Share your information to access the full prospectus and discover where your organization fits into this year’s summit.