Content Library | Air Dominance Summit

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.

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.

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.

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.

This presentation was delivered by Colonel Ryan Hayde, Commander of 505th Command and Control Wing (CCW), US Air Force, at the 2024 Air Dominance Summit on a key component of command and control. In this presentation, Colonel Hayde covers:

• Analyzing C2 Training Challenges
• Training Successes at the 505 CCW
• Using Simulator Environments for C2 Training
• The Role of C2 for Air Superiority
  
  

View the Air Dominance Summit 2026 Sponsorship & Networking Prospectus, and explore:

• Early Confirmed Speaker Line-up
• Previous Attendee Job Titles
• Previous Attendee Organizations
• Sponsor & Networking Opportunities
• Producer & Chairman Intros

If you have any questions or want to learn more about our partnership options, please contact partner@idga.org.

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.

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.