A separate Navy contract for its version of the NGAD fighter is still under competition between Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

Once airborne, the different drones can coordinate with each other to share information from their sensor suites, relaying real-time intelligence to ground stations and manned aircraft as well.

some critics have raised concerns about the relevance of manned fighter jets like the F-35 Lightning II amidst the rise of autonomous drones. While these critiques highlight the growing importance ...