21 janvier 2020 | Local, Aérospatial

F-35s Are Dead: The Sixth Generation of Fighter Aircraft Is On Its Way

by Kris Osborn

Key point: At this rate, the F-35 won't even see combat before its outmoded.

It is also possible that the new 6th-generation fighter could use advanced, futuristic stealth technology able to enable newer, more capable air defenses. The air defenses of potential adversaries are increasingly using faster computing processing power and are better networked together, more digital, able to detect a wider range of frequencies and able to detect stealthy aircraft at farther distances.

The Air Force has begun experimenting and conceptual planning for a 6th generation fighter aircraft to emerge in coming years as a technological step beyond the F-35, service leaders said.

"We have started experimentation, developmental planning and technology investment," Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Acquisition, told Scout Warrior in an interview.

The new aircraft, engineered to succeed the 5th-generation F-35 Joint StrikeFighter and explode onto the scene by the mid 2030s, is now in the earliest stages of conceptual development with the Air Force and Navy. The two services are now working together on early conceptual discussions about the types of technologies and capabilities the aircraft will contain. While the Air Force has not yet identified a platform for the new aircraft. The Air Force characterizes the effort in terms of a future capability called Next-Gen Air Dominance.

While Bunch did not elaborate on the specifics of ongoing early efforts, he did make reference to the Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan which delineates some key elements of the service's strategy for a future platform.

Fighter jets in 20-years may likely contain the next-generation of stealth technology, electronic warfare, sophisticated computer processing and algorithms, increased autonomy, hypersonic weapons and so-called "smart-skins" where sensors are built into the side of the aircraft itself.

Some of these characteristics may have been on display more than a year ago when Northrop Grumman's SuperBowl AD revealed a flashy first look at its rendering of a new 6th-generation fighter jet.

Northrop is one of a number of major defense industry manufacturers who will bid for a contract to build the new plane - when the time is right. While there are not many details available on this work, it is safe to assume Northrop is advancing concepts, technology and early design work toward this end. Boeing is also in the early phases of development of a 6th-gen design, according to a report in Defense News.

The Navy's new aircraft will, at least in part, replace the existing inventory of F/A-18 Super Hornets which will start to retire by 2035, Navy officials said.

The Navy vision for a future carrier air wing in 2040 and beyond is comprised of the carrier-launched variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C, and legacy aircraft such as the EA-18G Growler electronic jamming aircraft.

Also, around this time is when Navy planners envision its 6th generation aircraft to be ready, an aircraft which will likely be engineered for both manned and unmanned missions.

Technologies are rapidly advancing in coatings, electromagnetic spectrum issues, artificial intelligence, maneuvering, superiority in sensing the battlespace, communications and data links, Navy leaders have said.

Navy officials also add that the Navy is likely to develop new carrier-launched unmanned air vehicles in coming years as well. For instance, Northrop's historic X-47B demonstrator aircraft was the first unmanned system to successfully launch and land on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Analysts have speculated that as 6th generation developers seek to engineer a sixth-generation aircraft, they will likely explore a range of next-generation technologies such as maximum sensor connectivity, super cruise ability and an aircraft with electronically configured “smart skins.”

Super cruise technology would enable the new fighter jet to cruise at supersonic speeds without needing afterburner, analysts have explained. As a result, super cruise brings a substantial tactical advantage because it allows for high-speed maneuvering without needing afterburner, therefore enable much longer on-location mission time. Such a scenario provides a time advantage as the aircraft would likely outlast a rival aircraft likely to run out of fuel earlier. The Air Force F-22 has a version of supercruise technology.

Maximum connectivity would mean massively increased communications and sensor technology such as having an ability to achieve real-time connectivity with satellites, other aircraft and anything that could provide relevant battlefield information.The new aircraft might also seek to develop the ability to fire hypersonic weapons, however such a development would hinge upon successful progress with yet-to-be-proven technologies such as scramjets traveling at hypersonic speeds. Some tests of early renderings of this technology have been tested successfully and yet other attempts have failed.

The Air Force Chief Scientist, Dr. Geoffrey Zacharias, has told Scout Warrior that the US anticipates having hypersonic weapons by the 2020s, hypersonic drones by the 2030s and recoverable hypersonic drone aircraft by the 2040s. There is little doubt that hypersonic technology, whether it be weaponry or propulsion, or both, will figure prominently into future aircraft designs.

Smart aircraft skins would involve dispersing certain technologies or sensors across the fuselage and further integrating them into the aircraft itself, using next-generation computer algorithms to organize and display information for the pilot. We see some of this already in the F-35; the aircraft sensor fusion uses advanced computer technology to collect, organize and display combat relevant information from a variety of otherwise disparate sensors onto a single screen for pilots. In addition, Northrop's Distributed Aperture System is engineered to provide F-35 pilots with a 360-degree view of the battlespace. Cameras on the DAS are engineered into parts of the F-35 fuselage itself to reduce drag and lower the aircraft's radar signature.

Smart skins with distributed electronics means that instead of having systems mounted on the aircraft, you would have apertures integrated on the skin of the aircraft, analysts have said.

This could reduce drag, increase speed and maneuverability while increasing the technological ability of the sensors.

It is also possible that the new 6th-generation fighter could use advanced, futuristic stealth technology able to enable newer, more capable air defenses. The air defenses of potential adversaries are increasingly using faster computing processing power and are better networked together, more digital, able to detect a wider range of frequencies and able to detect stealthy aircraft at farther distances.

The new 6th-generation fighter will also likely fire lasers and have the ability to launch offensive electronic attacks.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/f-35s-are-dead-sixth-generation-fighter-aircraft-its-way-114901

Sur le même sujet

  • With Airbus MRTT, Canada contracts for larger and more flexible refueling fleet - Skies Mag

    26 juillet 2023 | Local, Aérospatial

    With Airbus MRTT, Canada contracts for larger and more flexible refueling fleet - Skies Mag

    Canada awarded Airbus a contract for the purchase of 4 new Airbus-built A330 MRTT aircraft and the conversion of 5 used A330-200s to the MRTT configuration.

  • S’envoler au-dessus et au-delà à l’environnement protégé des systèmes de défense contre les systèmes aéronefs sans pilote!

    24 août 2022 | Local, Aérospatial

    S’envoler au-dessus et au-delà à l’environnement protégé des systèmes de défense contre les systèmes aéronefs sans pilote!

    Le programme IDEeS tiendra son deuxième environnement protégé pour son défi, Détecter et vaincre : Contrer les systèmes aéronefs sans pilotes (CUAS), à Suffield en Alberta du 12 septembre au 7 octobre, 2022. IDEeS, en partenariat avec le Commandement des opérations interarmées du Canada dirige l'effort lié aux CUAS, en collaboration avec l'Armée canadienne, la Marine royale canadienne, l'Aviation royale canadienne, le Commandement des Forces d'opérations spéciales du Canada et le département de la défense américaine Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate. Le programme IDEeS et ses partenaires sont impatients d'accueillir des participants de divers pays alliés afin de développer et d'accroître les connaissances sur certains types de technologies qui présentent un intérêt plus élevé dans le domaine des systèmes aéronefs sans pilote. Visitez la page web de l'environnement protégé pour plus d'information et restez à l'écoute pour plus de mise à jour sur l'événement! IDEeS est en partenariat avec COMFOSCAN à Hack the North! Le Commandement des Forces d'opérations spéciales du Canada (COMFOSCAN) et IDEeS sont excités de rencontrer les jeunes les plus brillants de partout dans le monde lors de l'un des plus grands hackathons au Canada qui se déroulera à l'Université de Waterloo, Hack the North (en anglais seulement), du 16 au 18 septembre 2022. Les étudiants auront la chance de rencontrer des spécialistes du ministère de la Défense nationale et des Forces armées canadiennes (MDN/FAC) et de déchiffrer le code des défis de l'interface de programmation d'applications. Hackers, démarrez vos moteurs et que la course commence ! L'Équipe IDEeS

  • US Army extends Palantir’s contract for its data-harnessing platform

    18 décembre 2024 | Local, C4ISR, Sécurité

    US Army extends Palantir’s contract for its data-harnessing platform

    The Army is poised to grow Vantage, its major data platform, by awarding Palantir a $400 million contract to continue its expansion across the force.

Toutes les nouvelles