Caption
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping enter the hall during a signing ceremony on May 20, 2026, in Beijing, China. (Getty Images)
Caption
A 1st Fighter Wing's F-22 Raptor from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. (DVIDS)
This event will premiere on this page at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Thursday, June 2. Register for the event here
The Air Force and Navy are pursuing Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programs to replace front-line fighters such as the F-22 and F/A-18 E/F with families of manned and unmanned systems. But, by focusing on hardware like manned aircraft first, the services risk constraining NGAD’s flexibility—repeating mistakes of the F-22 and F-35 programs. Instead, NGAD programs should take a note from tech companies like Apple and prioritize the development of software ecosystems first to ensure ease of use and maximize interchangeability across platforms. By developing a software ecosystem, native NGAD systems and external platforms could work as a team to afford commanders a wider range of plays compared to a tight-knit NGAD family that grows up together.
Please join Hudson Senior Fellows Dan Patt and Bryan Clark, former commander of U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command Mike Holmes, and Dr. Tim Grayson, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force for a discussion of NGAD and new approaches to acquiring the next generation of military weapons systems.
Check out their new report here
Related Events
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture
Featured Speakers:
Karel Řehka
Daniel Kochis
Luke Coffey
23
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture
Hudson welcomes Karel Řehka, former chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, to discuss the changing security environment in Europe and its implications for the Czech Republic, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the transatlantic alliance.
Featured Speakers:
Karel Řehka
Daniel Kochis
Luke Coffey
22 - 25
October 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Israel’s Place in the American Order
Featured Speakers:
Zineb Riboua
Aaron MacLean
Kate Rozansky
22
October 2026
Past Event
The Nord Stream Conspiracy: A Conversation with Bojan Pancevski
Featured Speakers:
Bojan Pancevski
Peter Rough
22
October 2026
Past Event
The Nord Stream Conspiracy: A Conversation with Bojan Pancevski
Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Peter Rough for an online conversation with Pancevski about his new book and the broader implications of the Nord Stream affair for European security, transatlantic relations, and the evolution of unconventional warfare.
Featured Speakers:
Bojan Pancevski
Peter Rough
22
October 2026
Past Event
Decision Time in Jerusalem: Inside Israel’s Election
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Ludovic Hood
David Wurmser
David Makovsky
22
October 2026
Past Event
Decision Time in Jerusalem: Inside Israel’s Election
Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Ludovic Hood for a panel with David Wurmser of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs; David Makovsky of the Washington Institute; and Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, Michael Doran, as they discuss the state of the race and potential paths forward for the United States–Israel relationship.
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Ludovic Hood
David Wurmser
David Makovsky
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Caption
(Screenshot via YouTube)
Caption
An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by the US tech billionaire Elon Musk in Izyum, Ukraine, on September 25, 2022. (Getty Images)
