WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force intends to award a contract in 2024 for its sixth-generation fighter jet, the service said on Thursday.

Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman are expected to compete for the Next Generation Air Dominance program, which will replace Lockheed's F-22 Raptor with a more capable fighter jet that will be capable of teaming with drones.

The Air Force released a classified solicitation to industry on Thursday that lays out the technical requirements for the new aircraft.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the new fighter would "survive, persist, interoperate, and adapt in the air domain, all within highly-contested operational environments." The service has kept technical details about the program secret.

Boeing, Lockheed and Northrop did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

(Reporting by Valerie Insinna; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)