6th gen Concept

[Groove]

 

This concept originates from our Advanced Development Programs group called the Skunk Works®. The Skunk Works primary objective is to aggressively pursue next generation technology programs and conduct research and development that will allow it to rapidly respond to customer needs. U.S. 5th generation fighters are now operational with the F-22 in the USAF and F-35 soon to be operational for USAF, USN, USMC and our international partners. As with the 4th generation fighters (F-15, F-16, F-18), 5th Gen is poised for growth, and will go through a process of capability upgrades over their service lives. As such, they will be operationally relevant for decades to come. Even with that, it is time to start looking at the technologies that will provide the next quantum leap in capabilities for the next generation of fighters (IOC ~ 2030+). Simply removing the pilot from an aircraft or introducing incremental improvements in signature and range does not constitute a generational leap in capability. These improvements are already being looked at for our 5th generation fighters.

 

Future fighter requirements are not set and will depend on assessments of future threats that may emerge in the 2030 time frame. Greatly increased speed, longer range, extended loiter times, multi-spectral stealth, ubiquitous situation awareness, and self-healing structures and systems are some of the possible technologies we envision for the next generation of fighter aircraft. Next generation fighter capabilities will be driven by game changing technological breakthroughs in the areas of propulsion, materials, power generation, sensors, and weapons that are yet to be fully imagined. This will require another significant investment in research and development from a standpoint of both time and money. We will continue to investigate technologies that demonstrate great promise, and work closely with our customers to define the future operational concepts and requirements that the next generation of fighter aircraft must fulfill.

 

Source: The DEW Line

[RvETito]

I don't believe there will be a pilot onboard the next generation fighter. Already read somewhere that the F-35 is the last US-built manned combat aircraft.

[Snoopy]

I don't believe there will be a pilot onboard the next generation fighter. Already read somewhere that the F-35 is the last US-built manned combat aircraft.

 

Like the next gen bomber I think our next gen fighter will be both. Capable of having a pilot or not....the minute we take pilots out of the jet is the minute warfare becomes a "game."

[Pyroflash]

Never know, they are talking about a 2030 time frame for these things. Likely the piloted aircraft will be the flight lead aircraft equipped with special tech for controlling its wingmen which will be fully autonomous.

[RvETito]

Nowadays hardware (and software) are so advanced that humans turn out to be the weakest part. Think about it - all generations fighters are limited to 9'Gs because humans can hardly stand more; the only 5th generation fighter in service is grounded for an year because of oxygen problems. That wouldn't be a problem if there was no one to need that oxygen.

[winz]

Not rly. Computers are great at procedural, tedious, repeating tasks where humans tend to loose concetration. But they are bad at 'seeing' and reasoning. Drawing a bigger picture is still something computers can't do. They can't identify target on their own, they cannot plan attack on their own. Every move they do has to be approved by a human operator and sometimes the delay/complications caused by moving the pilot out of the cockipt might not be acceptable.

[Speed]

Like the next gen bomber I think our next gen fighter will be both. Capable of having a pilot or not....the minute we take pilots out of the jet is the minute warfare becomes a "game."

 

Yea, but so what? The sixth gen fighter as envisioned by this forecast will be so expensive, unmanned or otherwise, each country will only be able to afford one of them. So.. after it gets shot down, it's back to traditional warfare :)

 

Seriously though.... I just can't help but wonder still... what would be better, honestly? 1 F-22 or 50 cheap, expendable, networked drone aircraft. 1 super, sixth-gen fighter or hundreds of cheap "swarm" drones.

Edited February 28, 2012 by Speed

[aaron886]

Speed, one thing we do know, and that is that technology always evolves, and demand will always find a way. As long as we want/need new ways to kill people, it can be afforded.

[WynnTTr]

We're a loooong way off from unmanned fighters. At least a century imo.

There is simply too much things happening and evolving in combat to take a human out of the picture. Calls based on human judgments cannot be replicated by computers... yet. If they did, that'd be true AI.

 

For instance - you're about to engage an enemy (air/ground/whatever) then notice a civilian bus/goat herd/fishing boat is not where it's supposed to be and your radar/intel didn't pick it up, what would you do?

How about if a friendly aircraft is in distress or is being harassed by an enemy fighter. Will the computer assess that it's got smoke/oil coming out, losing power and about to get shot down and go help or will it just see that the friendly could probably RTB?

 

Even with a remote aircraft you can only see so much with a screen. We all know that limitation. The only way a remote fighter would be viable is if they made a 360 projection screen that's got as good a resolution as real life. Imagine the cost for that + remote aircraft. Far easier to just stick the pilot in the aircraft.

[RIPTIDE]

Can't wait to hack into one of them and land it in my yard.

[Cali]

Like the next gen bomber I think our next gen fighter will be both. Capable of having a pilot or not....the minute we take pilots out of the jet is the minute warfare becomes a "game."

 

+1, also, there are things a pilot sees that a UAV, can't or it will be harder to do. Being in the jet and flying it is not the same as doing it from a chair hundreds of miles away. Just like what we do, flying this sims. We don't have the sense of feel and SA that a real pilot has.

[topol-m]

that concept looks pretty badass.