Whether for looks or performance or both, the loss of the JSF contract surely hurt Boeing—and led the conglomerate into a long era of scandals and setbacks.
President Trump personally announced today that the U.S. Air Force’s NGAD contract has been awarded to Boeing over competitor Lockheed Martin. The announcement offers a modicum of redemption for Boeing. Decades ago, the venerable American plane manufacturer’s X-32 prototype lost the Joint Strike Fighter contract to Lockheed’s X-35—which went on to become the F-35. yielding hundreds of billions of dollars in sales.
Trump’s announcement was specifically for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract, which is expected to be worth about $20 billion. But these are only the upfront costs. Over the lifetime of the program, the NGAD contract will allow Boeing to rake in hundreds of billions of dollars. That means Boeing is on the verge of an absolute windfall—the sort of thing that can alter the direction of the company for decades and generations. It’s the sort of windfall Boeing had hoped for a generation ago, when they submitted their X-32 prototype to the Joint Strike Fighter bid—and the windfall that Lockheed Martin ultimately experienced instead.
Why the X-32 Lost to the Future F-35
The X-32 lost the JSF bid, ostensibly because of its poor STOVL (short takeoff and vertical landing) performance. The JSF called for an aircraft that could be outfitted in various configurations for the different armed services. STOVL in particular was a requirement for the Marine Corps who were hoping to phase out their venerable Harrier jump jets.
The X-32 underwhelmed in STOVL configuration. The problem was that when the X-32 was operating in STOVL configuration, at low altitude, the hot air from the exhaust circulated back into the main engine, weakening the engine’s thrust while also causing it to overheat. The problem wasn’t just a performance issue—it was a safety issue, too.
But STOVL performance is only one reason why Boeing’s X-32 lost the JSF contract. A second factor that also likely contributed to Boeing’s defeat was how objectively unattractive the X-32 was. It sounds superficial to have influenced such an important contract award, but the X-32’s looks were distinctively ugly—a fact that perhaps subconsciously turned acquisition experts at the Pentagon against it.
The X-32 has been described as a jet that only its mother could love. The most immediately obvious feature was the engine air intake, which is wide and mouth-like. The fuselage was odd, too—low set and wide—and when paired with the X-32’s delta wing, made for an ungainly, portly aesthetic. This is hardly the sort of characteristics or demeanor that tend to win fighter jet contracts.
Whether for looks or performance or both, the loss of the JSF contract surely hurt Boeing—and led the conglomerate into a long era of scandals and setbacks. On the commercial side, Boeing has struggled to fend off Airbus—and struggled to field a competent product. The disastrous rollout of the 737 MAX, in which software glitches led to multiple plane crashes and nearly 400 deaths, was particularly heinous. That debacle, as well as other eyebrow-raising incidents—notably a door popping off of a Boeing mid-flight last year—have raised important questions about the noticeable decline in Boeing’s product quality and in a realignment of corporate values to emphasize profit over engineering. Naturally, the question now becomes: can Boeing pull off the NGAD contract?
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
