U.S. Air Force reveals two new classified aircraft programs

Speaking to POLITICO at the Reagan National Defense Forum, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed the existence of two new classified drone programs, both built for combat rather than intelligence-gathering.

“They’re both unmanned air combat vehicles, unmanned platforms that are designed to work in conjunction with fighter aircraft like [the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter] or F-22 or the F-35,” said Kendall. And in a significant addition, he noted, “On the other hand they work in conjunction with bombers like the B-21.”

Kendall says that both of the programs will appear in the upcoming 2023 budget in February, but do not expect many details to be forthcoming.