Air force claims they could field a 6th gen aircraft within 5 years

We need a major global war to give things a kick in the arse.

They want to do it like smartphones, where new features are added all the time. Current system is one over all system designed for 20-30 year time frame. New system is based around 5 year turn around time where rapid upgrades/changes are happening and adapting to rapidly changing times as threats change.

What does it take to be sixth gen anyways? I've heard things like integrated laser weapons, optionally manned operation, and drone controls. You can do the last two to the F-35 with software upgrades, only the first one would be hard.

Everyone says stuff like super duper networking, optionally piloted and whatnot make a sixth-gen but realistically? Who the hell knows. For all we know a 6g could be wet farts and smiggers. The first to build one will probably invent a definition for a sixth-gen that conveniently describes their own fighter, like it happened with the F-22.

It's a solid strategy. Planes nowadays are pretty much flying computers so their development, life cycles etc. are also like computers where they're very gradually upgraded until it's no longer possible.

>5 years
>not counting industry boondoggles
>not considering block 2 and block 3 upgrades to make them fully functional
Okay

wars of production are over. wars would be fought with existing stockpiles. this is the future of procurement in the 21st century. sucks, but its the truth. to keep aircraft cutting edge you have to do building and testing at the same time.

Sure, they COULD. But they won't. 5th gen F-22 has only been in service since 2005, 14 years. F-14 and F-15, the beginning of the 4th generation, were in service just shy of 30 years before the F-22 became operational. Aircraft lifespans have been increasing, not decreasing, so I would expect all this 6th gen talk to be purely propaganda in order to downplay the F-35.

the F-15 is coming back boys, fuck "6th gen" shit planes
boeing.com/defense/f-15ex/?utm_source=defnews&utm_medium=adbanner&utm_campaign=2019 bds f-15ex&utm_content=creative&dclid=CjgKEAjw5fzrBRD8-oTFye29kQESJAAy7we8SwVaB59AIc76E4FFKDuhptk-2-UqSQJY-2DXKsTUnvD_BwE

HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT?

>Three industrial technologies enable a Century Series approach for NGAD and will set requirements for participants, Roper said. The first is agile software development

That's a yikes from me. But who knows. Even the agile meme approach might be better than whatever fossil system they have in place.

F35 is a bad example considering the shitshow and utter failure it is, 6th gen exists so people dont associate the next stealth aircraft with F35.... its a marketing term.

>What does it take to be sixth gen anyways?
Its undefined because its a marketing term, you cant have a new generation of aircraft develop before the old one sees a war and shows where the flaws are.

Of course we can, goyi... i mean Gentlemen

Just give us at (((lochkeed))) another 3 trillion dollars please.

Schmuck

cope

I wonder why they went with the 129 engine and not the 132. They're already getting weight-savings by switching to FBW, imagine an F-15 with 32,000lbf engines.

Quantitative easing aka printing money

About what?

thank you for the economic advice, zimbabwe