The U.S. military uses an unrivaled array of state-of-the-art airframes, employing the first fifth-generation fighter, the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning II that crosses multiple services’ boundaries. The B-2 Spirit remains the hallmark for stealth bombers, while the F-15 Eagle has never been taken down in dogfighting history. Of these, the all-around capabilities in air superiority and ground attack, including land-based and carrier-based operations, are very important for the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
As impressive as these platforms may be, U.S. military planners are setting their gaze toward the future of conflict and its potential opponents with a fleet as capable as those they have designed. The F/A-18, great in service, will be replaced under the F/A-XX program, an initiative for a 6th-generation air superiority fighter that falls under the Navy’s NGAD family of systems.
The secretive F/A-XX program has recently entered the design maturation phase. Last August, Aviation Week reported the program to be in the concept refinement phase with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman competing for the contract. GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are competing for the engine contract.
Cmdr. Mark Cochran highlighted for the Tailhook Symposium the Navy’s focus on operational reach and capacity within the F/A-XX program. It is the interlinking of a family of systems with Collaborative Combat Aircraft added to engage an advanced threat in extended ranges. The CCA is an unmanned drone portion of the concept, which is referred to as a “loyal wingman” to the manned fighters, suggesting advanced interconnectivity with other platforms.
The capabilities that the F/A-XX will possess can be predicted based on the most probable inclusion of advanced communications and sensor technologies for “maximum connectivity,” to provide real-time battlefield updates through concomitant connections with satellites and other friendly and unfriendly aircraft. For this, the F/A-XX is most probably likely to have an “open architecture” design for the interchangeability of several sensors, payloads, and weapons for mission requirements.
Some of the big goals that the F/A-XX will be rangefinding, according to a defense expert by the name of Peter Suciu, will be air combat, tactical bombing, direct fire support, and deep operation behind enemy lines. In addition, it will be supercruise-enabled, with advanced stealth features and some next-generation sensors and radars capable of being networked. It could very well rest in other advanced capability features, such as air-to-air refueling, reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and electronic warfare.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will also play big roles within the NGAD, taking on a co-pilot’s position for manned aviation and allowing unmanned aerial systems to fly independently. That means that drones will follow orders but also will show a degree of initiative.
A few years behind in public appearance, the NGAD would be followed by the F/A-XX program. Both of the endeavors are aimed at producing America’s initial sixth-generation fighter. Overseas, however, there are competitions similar to those seen in the British-led initiative GCAP and European FCAS programs. Added to this is understood sixth-generation fighter programs are in development with Russia, China, and Turkey.
The major strength comes from the huge military budget, and in terms of technology preparedness, it is going to prop up the fact that the United States is in dire straits, yes, going to put meat into a sixth-generation fighter, not just to build, but build it to perfection. The program of F/A-XX is bound to emerge as one of the more radical developments within the spectrum of naval aviation, and it is also going to be one of the more expensive development programs, although, with such high stakes, it is more than likely that fiscal considerations will be put to one side. This is all going to turn out to be a sure case of setting up parameters for future air combat.