Fighting for the Future: Sixth-Generation Fighter

As an active member of the American Legion veteran’s organization and Israel Defense Forces veteran, it is important to take an interest in both international air security and international air defense. The United States in in the process of developing top secret sixth- generation aircraft which will spearhead our next-generation fleet.

Fifth-generation fighters such as the F-22 and F-35 are highly stealthy against sophisticated X-band radars. However, sixth-generation fighters will employ stealth in the electromagnetic spectrum as well.

Several European countries are also developing cutting edge fighters. At the recent Paris Air Show, a model of a German-Spanish-French stealth jet was unveiled as part of the Future Combat Air System or FCAS.

More than a year earlier, the United Kingdom unveiled a model of the “Tempest” platform at the famous Farnborough Air Show. The UK Defense Ministry plans to have the Tempest operational by 2035.

Since both China and Russia possess highly effective air defense systems, the next-generation fighters must increase survivability versus sophisticated challengers.

The United States Air Force released the “Air Superiority 2030 Flight Plan” which describes and depicts penetrating counter-air platforms that can successfully fly into enemy airspace.

The next-generation aircraft will suppress enemy air-defense systems using e-warfare. It is also possible that some sixth-generation aircraft will be unmanned. The aircraft may be armed with robotic wing men. The United States Air Force Research Lab is developing and testing a Valkyrie drone capable of fighting alongside next-generation aircraft.

Last year, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments published a report titled “Regaining the High Ground at Sea: Transforming the United States Navy’s Carrier Air Wing for Great Power Competition.” The United States Navy is preparing cutting edge air technology for combat deep into enemy territory.

The European missile manufacturer MBDA is developing interceptors that will eliminate incoming enemy missiles. The company is developing self-defense missiles that will be fired from the aviation fighter.

It is highly recommended that Israel’s RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems work with both the United States and Europe to develop sixth-generation aircraft and hypersonic missiles.

Israel must develop “DANCE” technology which is an acronym for “Algorithms, Networks, Cloud, and Edge computing” in order to develop next-generation air dominance.

In the United States, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Will Roper is already working to streamline the systems engineering process.

Will the state of Israel join with the United States and Europe to develop an inter-operable sixth-generation stealth fighter? Will Israel maintain its air dominance into the future?

These are the questions on the minds of high-level Israeli, American, and European international defense personnel.