WASHINGTON – The US Air Force on March 22 released a video showcasing theabilities of its conceptual sixth-generation fighter jet, which is alsohailed as the Next-Generation Air Dominance or Penetrating Counter Air.
In the video we can see the sixth-generation fighter jet, also known asF/X, firing a high energy laser that cuts another fighter in half. Thepower of the jet is still unclear, however, it is speculated that it willhave longer range, larger payload and will be able to switch between amanned and an unmanned aircraft. The fighter is estimated to travel athypersonic speeds, and can also be loaded with hypersonic weapons.
The US Air Force is yet to decide on who’s going to develop such ahighly-specified aircraft, but officials expected its services to likelystart around 2030. A statement released by Air Force Research Laboratory(AFRL) website, read, “In order to defend America, we need your help toinnovate smarter and faster…Our warfighters depend on us to keep the fightunfair and we will deliver.”
The statement also added that the AFRL community will hold several eventsat universities across the US this spring and summer, where it willinteract with various scientific communities, higher education andbusiness.
The video released by AFRL also features the Air Force’s “Loyal Wingman”initiative, in which a manned fighter jet can undertake and control a swarmof attack and surveillance drones. The video also contains DARPA’s“Gremlin” program and the Air Force’s Counter-electronics High PowerMicrowave Advanced Missile Project, a missile potential of causing anelectronic blackout.
Since 2015, the US Air Force has been suggesting ideas about mountinglasers on planes and jets, such as AC-130s, and F-15s and F-16s. As per areport in the Business Insider, the US government recently awarded a $26.5million contract to Lockheed Martin for developing lasers for fighter jets.