The central history of today's security zeitgeist is the American development and deployment
of Fifth-Generation stealth aircraft like the F-35 Lightning.
However, behind this scenes, numerous governments are already planning the design of a Sixth-Generation
jet.
The latter include France, Germany and the United Kingdom is talking up a conceptual
Sixth-Generation MiG-41 interceptor.
And currently, the United States also has two projects: the Air Force's ‘Penetrating
Counter-Air' a long-range stealth fighter to escort stealth bombers, and the Navy's
FA-XX.
Morever, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and Northrop-Grumman company have also unveiled Sixth-Generation
concepts so far.
Many of the technology used in the various Sixth-Generation concepts are quite similar.
The stealthy aircraft and long-range weapons that distinguished Fifth-Generation fighters
will remain fundamental to the Sixth-Generation fighters.
Stealth aircraft must be capable of penetrating 'anti-access/area-denial' bubbles and eliminating
air defense from a safe distance.
In addition, in aerial war scenarios stealth jets also outperform non-stealth aircraft
significantly.
Thus, low radar cross-sections and radar-absorbent materials will be necessary but insufficient
feature of Sixth-Generation fighters.
According to some theorists, the enhanced sensor technology will eventually render stealthy
airframes obsolete, and that stealthy airframes cannot be modified as easily as avionics and
weapon.
Therefore, jamming, electronic warfare, and infrared obscuring countermeasures will all
become more important as a result.
Beyond-visual-range missiles also will remain a key technology.
For instance, the extent missiles like the AIM-120D can already hit targets over one
hundred miles away, but realistically must be fired much closer to have a good chance
of a kill against an agile, fighter-sized target.
Moreover, new ramjet-powered high-speed air-to-air missiles like the British Meteor and Chinese
PL-15 point to why future air warriors may mostly fight at great distances from their
adversaries.
F-35 fighter jet, however has pioneered powerful Helmet Mounted Displays that can see 'though'
the airframe for better situational awareness, display key instrument data, and target missiles
via a Helmet Mounted Sight.
Though these helmets are still in the early stages of development, they are expected to
become a standard feature in future aircraft, possibly replacing cockpit instrument panels.
The 6th generation jets differ from the fifth generation jets in that they have larger airframes
and more efficient engines.
As airbases and carriers become more vulnerable to missile attacks, warplanes will need to
be able to fly longer distances and carry more armaments, which is challenging when
a stealth relies primarily on internal fuel tanks and weapons loads.
The natural solution is a larger airframe.
As air forces expect Within-Visual-Range aerial dogfights to be infrequent and possibly mutually
suicidal, they are showing a greater willingness to tradeoff maneuverability in favor of higher
sustained speeds and a larger payload.
These design goals may align well with the development of advanced adaptive g variable-cycle
engines that can change their configurations in mid-flight to perform better at high speeds
or save fuel at low speeds.
Moreover, the Sixth-Generation jet is optionally-manned.
For decades, air power theorists have predicted a shift to crewless combat jets, which will
avoid the increased weight and risk to life and limb that a human pilot requires.
Despite the fact that drone technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in that period,
navies and air forces have been sluggish to investigate pilotless jets, both because of
the expenses and risks, as well as cultural factors.
For instance, pilots from the United States Navy successfully lobbied to have a proposed
carrier-based stealth attack drone repurposed as a tanker to refuel manned aircraft.
As a result, Sixth-Generation concepts are pushing the concept of an optionally manned
aircraft that can fly with or without a pilot onboard.
This has the disadvantage of requiring additional design effort to develop an airplane that
will still have the drawbacks and high training costs associated with a manned aircraft.
However, optional manning may help ease the transition to an unmanned fighter force, and
in the short term, allow military officials to deploy aircraft on high-risk missions without
endangering pilots' lives.
Furthermore, 6th Generation fighter jets possess sensor fusion with friendlies on the ground,sea,
air, and space.
One of the F-35's most notable features is its ability to absorb sensor data and communicate
it to the friendly forces via datalinks, resulting in a composite 'picture.'
This might allow a stealth aircraft to ride point and hunt down foes while friendly forces
maneuver into opportune positions and sling missiles from furtherback without even turning
on their radars.
Because this tactic promises to be such a force multiplier, fused sensors and cooperative
engagement will become a standard feature of Sixth-Generation jets, and the fusion will
likely be strenghtened by incorporting satellites and even drones deployed alongside jet fighters.
However, sensor fusion and optional manning suggest that Sixth-Generation jets will rely
significantly on datalinks and networks that may be jammed or even hacked.
Ground-based logistics networks, such as the Autonomic Logistics Information System on
the F-35, promise huge efficiency gains, but they also expose even landed aircraft to potential
cybertattack.
Moreover, the Sixth-Generation avionic systems must not only be resistant to electronic and
cyber warfare, but they may also be capable of launching such attacks against adversaries.
The Air Force has successfully demonstrated the potential of the Navy's fighter-borne
Next Generation Jammer to infiltrate networks and insert data packets.
But, the problem is all of these sensor, communication and weapons systems have become so complex
that they risk exceeding the human brains task-processing capacity on remember, the
pilot also has to fly the plane.
While some Fourth-Generation stealth fighters included a back-seat Weapon Systems Officer
to assist, all Fifth-Generation stealth fighters are single-seaters.
As a result, air forces are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to perform the more routine
aspects of fighter control, such as determining which data should be delivered to the pilot.
Furthermore, drones could also be coordinated using AI and machine learning.
In a test over China Lake in October 2016, two FA-18 Super Hornets deployed 103 Perdix
drones.
Animated by an AI hivemind, the drones swarmed down like a cloud of locusts over a predetermined
target point.
The Kamikaze drones became an example that they have previously been deployed in combat,
and it's simple to see how such a small and inexpensive weapon could become extremely
terrifying.
Future warfare theorists believe that a small number of inexpensive and well-protected weapons
platforms and missiles will be significantly more difficult to defend against than a large
number of expensive and well-protected weapons platforms and missiles.
However, larger, faster, and fancier drones will most certainly be used as sensor-carrying
scouts, weapons platforms, and decoys by Sixth-Generation aircraft.
However, Swarms of drones, missiles, and even outmoded jet fighters have the potential to
overwhelm a sophisticated stealth jet's offensive and defensive capabilities.
In conclusion, a Sixth-Generation fighter is a conceptualized class of jet fighter aircraft
design more advanced than the Fifth-Generation jet fighters that are currently in service
and development.
With the abilities and the capabilities having by the Sixth-Generation such as the larger
airframes, more efficient engine, optionally-manned, and possess sensor fusion with friendlies
on the ground,sea, air, and space might be replaced the current exist F-35 Fifth-Generation
fighter jets.
That’s all for today, thank you for watching, and i’ll see you in the next video!