The Navy’s Next Jet Competition invites students from K-12th grades across Southern Maryland’s St. Mary’s, Charles, and Calvert counties to submit their futuristic jet designs for a chance to earn a tour with a NAWCAD squadron and experience Naval Aviation up close. The top designs will be featured on exhibit at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Navy jet design competition for Southern Maryland students launches Sept. 4
The U.S. Navy calls on students across the Southern Maryland region to draw on their innovation and creativity to design Naval Aviation’s next jet in an inaugural competition by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD).
“The aviation pros of Southern Maryland are the foundation of what makes America’s Navy the most capable and dominant force in the skies,” said NAWCAD Commander and competition judge Rear Adm. John Dougherty IV. “The Navy’s Next Jet Competition builds up our community’s next generation of aviation excellence.”
The Navy’s Next Jet Competition launches on Sept. 4, and invites K-12th graders across St. Mary’s, Charles, and Calvert counties to submit their futuristic jet designs for a chance to win a tour of a NAWCAD squadron, meet the pilots, and experience Naval Aviation up close. The competition’s top designs will be featured on exhibit at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.
Naval Aviation leaders will judge student designs across the competition’s three submission categories – K-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th grades – based on creativity, feasibility, and innovation. The competition details, including design and judging criteria, submission requirements, and more can be found at https://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcad/Navys-Next-Jet-Competition-2024.
The Navy’s Next Jet designs are due by Oct. 15.
NAWCAD— the center of Naval Aviation’s development—will host the competition in partnership with the Program Executive Office for Tactical Aircraft, the office responsible for procurement and sustainment of the Navy’s and Marine Corps’ fleet of tactical aircraft and supportive equipment.
NAWCAD employs more than 17,000 military, civilian and contract personnel. It operates test ranges, laboratories and aircraft in support of test, evaluation, research, development and sustainment of everything flown by the Navy and Marine Corps. Based in Patuxent River, Maryland, the command also has major sites in St. Inigoes, Maryland, Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Orlando, Florida.