6th-generation jet fighters may involve hypersonic technology, artificial intelligence (AI)
WASHINGTON – Drone jet fighters, hypersonic attack planes, artificial intelligence (AI), lasers, electronic warfare, and sensors woven into the fuselage of an aircraft all are areas of current technological exploration for the Air Force as it begins early prototyping for a new, 6th-generation jet fighter to emerge in the 2030s and 2040s. Fox News reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
9 Jan. 2019 -- While the initiative, called Penetrating Counter Air, largely has been conceptual for years, Air Force officials say current prototyping and demonstrations are informing which technologies the service will invest in for the future.
The Air Force Penetrating Counter Air program is focused equally on information exchange as a defining element of future war. Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, and Boeing’s Phantom Works all are among industry developers already working on prototype 6th Gen planes and advanced technologies. Laser weapons shot from jet fighters, expected to be operational by the mid-2020s, are part of the planning for 6th-generation fighters.
The pace of advancement in computer processing speeds, miniaturization, and artificial intelligence (AI) also promise to bring new things to air combat. Algorithms able to gather, compile and organize ISR data instantly and perform real-time analytics will bring faster targeting and attack systems to fighters. AI-enabled real-time analytics will bring the ability to compare new sensor information against vast databases of relevant data in milliseconds.
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John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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