Forward and upward: behind the sixth generation of fighters
Defense News, in fact a colleague of the Military Review, interrogated the head of the US Air Command, General Mark Kelly, for information on how the work on the creation of the next generation fighter from the NGAD program is proceeding.
In many opinions, the aircraft is called the sixth generation. Now it turns out that this is not just an airplane, but also a complex of unmanned aerial vehicles, spacecraft and some cyber platforms. With the latter, everything is completely incomprehensible.
So, NGAD, Next Generation Air Dominance or "Air superiority of the new generation." On the one hand, everyone understands perfectly well that this is another black hole into which budget money will fly, on the other hand, the Americans, represented by Kelly, claim that the program has advanced further than many expected, and the full-size NGAD demonstrator has already made its first flight.
Next we will have one question, which, I think, will appeal to many, and will surprise many.
Yes, the United States has developed a "system of systems," as they call it themselves. More precisely, these are several families, united by one task and brought together into a single combat system under a single control.
Fighters, Drones, satellites in space, cyber platforms. The latter must be dealt with separately, but the rest is more or less clear.
The fighters, supported by drones, in theory, will be able to penetrate even the A2 / AD - Anti-Access / Area-Denial areas, a high-risk zone into which NATO troops cannot penetrate without unacceptable damage even with superior forces, breaking through any air defense systems. destroying Aviation and the most important targets of the enemy.
I will not sin much against the truth, saying that there are two such zones in the world: China and Russia. Precisely in this order, because an open clash between the United States and the Russian Federation is not possible in itself, if only because there are no good reasons for this. Russia has nothing to drive the United States into an open attack.
But the PRC, which in the United States is already openly called the main rival, and which has concentrated on its territory a huge number of industrial enterprises belonging to owners from the United States, including. Apple, Boeing, Qualcomm, General Electric - these companies will find it very difficult to abandon the Chinese industrial platform.
So if anyone is in danger of being forced to obey, it is China, which is increasingly demonstrating its independence in terms of its political and economic course.
Will the US Air Force be able to penetrate China's airspace today? I will refer to the same "Defense News", which wrote in April this year that it will be very, very difficult to do this with the forces of the fifth generation fighter F-35A Lightning II due to many factors, many of which we have discussed more than once.
«News Defense "note that this is precisely the task that the aircraft, which is being created under the NGAD program, can perform. At least the word "should" sounded. And the F-35A will remain in confrontation with Chinese aircraft and cruise missiles, protecting American military facilities from strikes.
That is, in the opinion of the American military, the newest F-35 is already not suitable today to carry out tasks, acting against developed countries with a decent air defense and air force structure. Meanwhile, the F-35 is like a fifth generation fighter. And - is either outdated, or has not reached the level of solving tasks such as fighting in the A2 / AD zone.
Sixth generation?
Okay, sixth. Which is being developed in many countries, not only in the USA. England, China, Germany, France, Russia - everyone is working on their next generation projects. With all that the fifth has not yet been brought to mind. In reality, none of those countries that have fighters of the latest generation can today confidently say that all issues related to its aircraft have been removed from the agenda.
But nevertheless, everyone rushed to create the next generation.
The question arises: what is it in the next, sixth generation, how will it differ from the fifth?
Today the fifth generation of fighters is flying at close to the limit. For the person in the cockpit. And, despite the help of computers, a modern pilot has to operate with a huge amount of information, control dozens of parameters in flight, and do it all in shorter periods of time.
Actually, designers have long been talking about artificial intelligence. Yes, AI is not yet developed in the same way as the human brain, but it doesn't care whether it is 10g or 20g. The missiles are already maneuvering at overloads of up to 20g, and the Germans claim that their latest IRIS-T missile can withstand 60g.
It turns out that the basic difference between the sixth generation and the fifth in terms of "higher, farther and faster" is in the absence of a pilot in the cockpit. Or the optional presence of a person on the plane.
But then isn't it easier to make drones that already exist and that do not require life support and human rescue systems in the structure?
And then - please, that same hypersonic speed, which seems to be also a mandatory feature of 6th generation machines. Absolute invisibility cannot be achieved, this is understandable. But a person in an airplane flying at a speed of 5-6M also looks only theoretically.
Here NGAD looks more or less intelligible. Especially if we consider the "system of systems" as a kind of "swarm". That is, a flock of unmanned vehicles for different purposes, working as a whole. A gang of flying Terminators. Someone is carrying missiles, someone is bombs, someone is electronic warfare modules, someone is a means of communication, and someone is a container with an artificial brain that will control all this.
And at some distance - a couple of planes with people. With a backup control channel in case the artificial brain catches a missile in the convolutions.
But this is how modern anti-ship or cruise missiles already operate. They fly in a flock, replace the leader if they get knocked down, lead others to the target, and so on.
But then rockets. The planes are not so fast, not so inconspicuous. With them, it really should be at the next technological level.
Today, if you look at a fighter of the Penetrating Counter Air (FX / PCA) program, then it should be able to fight enemy fighters, gain air superiority, accompany bombers, and destroy targets of various nature on the ground. Fly long distances, be able to refuel in the air, carry many different missiles and bombs, and be as invisible to radars as possible.
Are there any differences from the same F-35 or Su-57 from the previous generation? That's it.
But other developers also do not claim something revolutionary. Yes, they promise better characteristics of the sixth generation aircraft, but no one is talking about something revolutionary or fundamentally new in equipment.
Yes, the "flying wing" is the only "news". And also not from the category of the newest, this concept of aircraft from the Second World War is in business.
So all this talk about the sixth generation will not soon go beyond talk. Apparently, the number "6" in the reports looks more interesting and (most importantly) more expensive than "5". Or "5+". Or "5 ++". And I really want to sell this topic at a higher price, as not so long ago the British tried to pass off their new "Tempest" as "6". Although he also did not fly as a "five".
In general, the sixth generation, which has only drone and hypersound of the main qualities, is such a weak step forward compared to the fifth generation. It's just an increase in the size and capabilities of existing UAVs, nothing more.
Apparently, the flying demonstration model in the USA is yes, “one small step”. But in order for it to become a truly step for the air force of a particular country, a lot of time must be spent. And many billions.
Perhaps then the tale of the sixth generation will begin to come true.
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