RIP F-35: The Air Force's Sixth-Generation Fighter Could Make Everything Obsolete
Drone fighter jets, hypersonic attack planes, artificial intelligence, lasers, electronic warfare and sensors woven into the fuselage of an aircraft - are all areas of current technological exploration for the Air Force as it begins early prototyping for a new, 6th-Generation fighter jet to emerge in the 2030s and 2040s.
While the initiative, called Penetrating Counter Air, has been largely 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 is maturing technologies as well as assessing prototyping and demonstration activities as potential options,” Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Hope Cronin told Warrior Maven.
Current work on a futuristic 6th-gen fighter - to come after and fly alongside upgraded F-35s -- includes development of stealthy drone fighters, hypersonic flight, lasers, new precision weaponry and advanced AI able organize targeting data in milliseconds.
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