Research Symposium Program - Individual Details

  Back to Submissions

5th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 17, 2025

Logan Cates

asset.jpg

BIO

I am interested in researching subjects regarding the US military, more specifically the US Air Force and the new research different programs are doing for the Air Force. My hometown is Hannibal Missouri, and I am still looking around for what field I want to work in. I am also an active high school student at The Collegiate School and dual enrolled at FSU PC.

Obstacles for the Air Force NGAD program

Authors: Logan Cates, Madisyn Flammia
Student Major: Highschool student; Intended major is still undecided
Mentor: Madisyn Flammia
Mentor's Department: Research
Mentor's College: The Collegiate School
Co-Presenters:

Abstract

The U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program aspires to develop a sixth-generation aircraft capable of significantly outperforming the F-22, marking the first American initiative in this category. In conjunction with this endeavor, a separate aircraft is also being researched and developed for naval applications. This study addresses critical challenges and inquiries surrounding the program, particularly focusing on potential barriers such as funding constraints, public support, and political endorsement, and how these factors might influence the research and development of next-generation aircraft. A succinct overview of NGAD reveals its fundamental purpose within the U.S. Air Force: to preserve air superiority against adversarial nations like Russia and China, ensuring dominance in contested airspaces for prompt and effective victories. The primary objective of my research is to ascertain how specific impediments might delay or even jeopardize the progress of these advanced aircraft programs. I plan to gather data from various online resources, including governmental websites that discuss the NGAD initiatives, along with relevant scholarly articles and research papers. The importance of this research lies in its potential to highlight obstacles that could hinder or terminate the advancement of the NGAD program, thereby informing strategies to mitigate these challenges and ensure the program's success.

Keywords: NGAD, U.S. Military, U.S. Air Force