6th generation fighter. Jet fighter: photos and specifications

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Air Force is one of the largest military branches in Russia. The technological superiority of aircraft is the most important criterion for the combat capability of the Air Force. And that is why the armies of the advanced powers of the world - Russia, the USA, China - strive in this respect to be one step ahead of the rest of the planet. And therefore, they strive not only to equip their troops with modern models of equipment, but also to engage in promising developments. Including in the field of aviation.

Now a 6th generation fighter is being created in the bowels of many world design bureaus. Cars of the "junior" ranks are already flying and being produced with might and main. They were released by the Russians, the Americans, and, according to some sources, the Chinese. And therefore, the key factor in the competitiveness of the national armies of states will be the replenishment of the Air Force with a fighter of a generation higher. When to expect the appearance of such machines?

Criteria for the 6th generation

Actually, based on what criteria can a new fighter be classified as a 6th generation aircraft? Among the main ones that are called by experts is flight autonomy. That is, the machine will be controlled not by a person, but by a computer - in automatic mode or through remote interaction with people. However, there isaviation experts who say that a 6th generation fighter can also be manned. It is quite possible, experts admit, that the machines of the latest class will be produced in two technological implementations at the same time.

There is a version that the unmanned concept is closer to American aviators, and Russian, in turn, the one in which the aircraft will be controlled by a person. Designers from the United States, as noted in a number of sources, thereby expect to give the fighters an incredibly high resistance to overloads, since the robot can withstand them without problems. The Russians, in turn, tend to believe that no computer is capable of controlling a machine at the human level. However, among aircraft designers from the Russian Federation, there are many supporters of unmanned concepts as well. True, as some experts note, Russian engineers are somewhat inferior to their Western colleagues in this area. In confirmation of this, unsuccessful tests of the latest models of unmanned vehicles created in the Russian Federation are given. And that is why, according to experts, Russia will create a 6th generation fighter with a certain probability based on a concept where a person will fly the aircraft.

Among other important criteria for promising machines, experts also call extreme ste alth. The current level of ste alth technology provides far from 100% protection for aircraft from air defense systems. Moreover, if we take the most modern air defense systems, such as, for example, the Russian S-400, then "ste alth" at the current level is hardlya hindrance to them. However, the 6th generation fighter, as experts expect, will be able to leave even the most technologically advanced air defense systems out of work due to ste alth. By the way, the above criterion can be supplemented by means of protection against air defense (anti-missiles, decoys, etc.).

The next criterion is the disproportionately higher speed of a fighter in comparison with machines of previous generations. If now the fastest military aircraft fly with an indicator of the order of Mach 3, then the development of the 6th generation is expected to be able to overcome the threshold of 5. The cruising speed (without afterburner) of the latest fighters, experts say, will definitely be supersonic. She can also pick up much faster. It is quite possible that the cruising speed of the fighters of the future will be identical to today's afterburner speeds - Mach 1.5-2. One of the likely characteristics of the engines that will be installed on ultra-fast fighters is very high efficiency. Thanks to it, aircraft will be able to fly for a long time without refueling, and therefore carry out patrols at large distances relative to their bases.

From a structural point of view, the machines of the 6th generation, as experts believe, will be very ergonomic. It is possible that the wing, for example, will be mostly built into the fuselage. There is a possibility, experts believe, that the world's 6th generation fighters will not be equipped with vertical tail. Perhaps the design of the aircraft will be based on the concept of "flying wing" (similar to the futuristiclooking like a B-2 in service with the US Air Force).

What will the latest fighters look like? The photo below can give us a rough guide.

Machines of the 6th generation are likely to be super-maneuverable (including when flying at high speeds). To do this, all models will be equipped with thrust vectoring engines. The aircraft will have to maneuver easily at angles of the order of 60 degrees. Why does an aircraft need such quality if close air battles are likely to be unlikely? The main point of view on this matter is that super-maneuverability allows fighters to move within the framework of so-called "anti-missile" trajectories. That is, when a striking head from an air defense system is approaching, the car can abruptly go to the side. Anti-aircraft missile, thus, not having time to calculate this maneuver, misses the target.

What else will be added to the latest fighters? It is quite possible to expect the appearance in them of a more perfect, in comparison with the existing, mechanism of interaction with ground objects. And not only terrestrial, but also sea, space, or even underwater. According to experts, the best fighter of the newest generation is the one that, first of all, will be able to exchange tactical and strategic data with the command post and other aircraft faster than others, and receive information from satellites. All this will allow the pilot to get ahead of the enemy in making key decisions that affect the success of the combat mission.

Also most likely military fighters 6generations will be equipped with weapons with a much larger combat radius than today's designs allow. There is a version that it is due to the resources for hitting targets from a long distance that the vehicles will be able to withstand the confrontation with the latest air defense systems. For example, it will be possible to launch a combat missile even before the radar of the anti-aircraft complex detects the aircraft. Probably, the newest vehicles will be equipped not only with rocket weapons, which are mainly used now, but also with laser systems. Moreover, for very different purposes: both those designed for electronic warfare (disabling enemy avionics), and those lasers that can themselves hit targets. It is possible that the weapon will also be electromagnetic. And those missiles that are supposed to be installed on 6th generation vehicles will fly at such a speed that air defense systems simply will not be able to "keep up" with them.

Will there be the world's best fighter?

Another interesting question. Some experts believe that it is unlikely that any of the aircraft designers will be able to create an objectively best fighter in the world. By the time the 6th generation machines are put into operation, the level of technology in them is expected to be approximately the same. Approximately such a situation is now with fighters of the 5th generation. The Russian T-50 and the American F-22, in general, according to many experts, have very similar potential and a comparable level of technology. And this despite the fact that 3rd and 4th generation fighters produced in the Russian Federation (and before that - in the Soviet Union) in a number of cases,according to many experts, they were head and shoulders above their American counterparts and vice versa. Regarding the 6th generation, then, as experts believe, even if some aircraft lead, say, in speed, then there is no guarantee that in other components (for example, in maneuverability) they will not yield to competitors. A very important factor will be the support of vehicles from other branches of the military - space, air defense, navy, in certain tasks - also ground.

Does Russia need a 6th generation aircraft?

Among experts in the field of aviation, there is an opinion that the 6th generation fighter is not needed by modern armies, including the Russian one. There are two main types of arguments in support. According to the first of them, air defense systems will develop more intensively than winged equipment. And therefore it is completely impractical, experts believe, to create a fleet of the latest and, most likely, incredibly expensive fighters, since they are highly likely to be shot down during battles.

Another argument - the technology of building modern military aircraft, in principle, has reached such a level that it is problematic to make a car that would be really stronger. Russian T-50 aircraft, American F-22 fighters, and, probably, Chinese 5th generation aircraft already being prepared for production, in principle, are technologically advanced enough to meet the needs of armies for decades to come, experts say. In particular, such a parameter as the deflectable thrust vector, which is expected to be mandatory for aircraft of the 6th generation,found on many modern cars. And the very super-maneuverability that we talked about above is present even on some 4th generation fighters. Not to mention the modern T-50 and F-22. In addition, the cruising speed of both aircraft, according to some experts, may well reach supersonic values.

Ahead of their time

There is a version that the current models of fighters are designed to serve for 50 years. This is indirectly confirmed by the fact that aircraft of even the previous, 4th generation, developed in the mid-60s, have been successfully serving in the armies of the leading military powers of the world to this day. Their basic characteristics - the speed of a fighter, armament, maneuverability - fully meet, experts believe, modern tasks. These, in particular, include such vehicles as the Russian Su-30, the American F-14.

There is also an opinion that even some 4th generation aircraft can quite successfully compete in some components with promising developments. In particular, some experts rank Russian fighters as such - Su-35, MiG-29 in the latest modifications. In addition, existing machines (both 4th and 5th generations) have, according to many experts, a huge potential for modernization. And therefore, many of the functions that are expected to be seen in promising aircraft can be "screwed" onto samples of the previous generation of fighters.

When will the new cars arrive?

When will the new class aircraft appear? According to experts, test tests of such machinesare possible within the next 10 years, the launch into production is real within 20. There is a version that the first 6th generation fighter will be built by the Americans. This is facilitated primarily by the colossal US military budget, which is many times greater than that which Russia and China have at their disposal, even if they are summed up. The US also has an enviable, according to many experts, technological potential.

Although, as noted by some experts, not all of the Americans are so positive. In particular, many experts criticize the existing advanced developments from the USA - the same F-22, as well as the promising F-35 (which, by the way, does not belong to the 5th generation, which can indirectly confirm the lack of interest of designers in reaching the 6th level).

Existing Prototypes: American Concepts

What are the prototype machines of the 6th generation? What is the world's best new class fighter supposed to be?

Some experts consider the F/A-XX project being developed by Boeing to be such. It is assumed that this will be a carrier-based fighter for the US Navy, which can be used in a wide range of combat missions. The prototype machine was introduced to the world by Boeing engineers back in 2008. The design feature of the aircraft is that it does not have a vertical tail, while almost all modern fighters have it. A photo of the unusual F/A XX is below.

The wings of the apparatus, according to experts, are similar to those of the F-22. In the cockpit of a promising aircraft, based onof the presented layout, there are two places for pilots. The first, according to experts, will control the fighter, and the second will guide the unmanned aerial vehicles included in the weapons kit. Many experts, however, were confused by the large declared weight of the machine - 45 tons. However, there is an opinion on this matter - a more powerful engine can be installed on a heavy body, thereby increasing the overall thrust-to-weight ratio of the device. The engine that will likely be on the F/A-XX is the same engine that is on the F-35. Which once again confirms the fact that many of today's technologies already meet the criteria of the 6th generation. The F/A-XX is expected to enter production in the mid-2020s.

Several years after the F/A-XX was first shown to the public, Boeing introduced the world to an updated version of its 6th generation concept car. According to the project, the aircraft is supposed to be produced in just the same technological versions - unmanned and one where a person will control the device. It is assumed that the aircraft will be able to replace the fourth generation F-18 fighters over the coming decades.

Boeing Corporation, meanwhile, has another 6th generation fighter concept. It's an F-X car. It is no longer intended for the Navy, but specifically for the US Air Force. It is assumed that this aircraft will replace the F-22. The main advantage of the machine is called very high speed.

It is known that another American aircraft giant - Lockheed Martin - has also prepared its own concept. True, there are still very few facts about a promising aircraft from this company.a little. There is, perhaps, only information that the car will be produced according to the integral aerodynamic concept.

The Americans, according to some experts, have approximate guidelines for the timing of the commissioning of 6th generation fighters. The maximum that the United States is willing to wait is until the end of the 2030s. In turn, the Americans plan to re-equip the army within 20 years after the launch of the aircraft into mass production.

Airplane from Europe

Among the notable European prototypes of the 6th generation aircraft is the development of the Dassault nEUROn concern. True, all the engineers of this company can boast of so far is a good drone, created using ste alth technology. It was shown to the world in 2012. However, the engineering developments that were implemented in it, experts believe, can become the basis for creating a full-fledged 6th generation machine.

Chinese project

At the moment, aircraft designers from China are finalizing 5th generation fighters. We are talking about the aircraft J-20 and J-31. So far, according to experts, Chinese engineers will not be greatly distracted by promising developments, however, there are facts confirming some interest of designers from China in creating a 6th generation machine. Just like the Europeans, engineers from the PRC created a high-tech drone, which was called Lijian, characterized by low visibility to radar. On the basis of this development, experts believe, a promising jet fighter may well be designed. It is possible that he is into a certain extent will meet the criteria of the 6th generation.

Japanese prototype

Designers from Japan, as reported in a number of sources, are also engaged in the creation of the latest class of fighter. It is believed that the basis for the machine will be an experimental aircraft ATD-X. There is a version that the Japanese will build a 6th generation fighter in alliance with designers from the United States. Experts call the ATD-X machine a model that may well become the basis for the implementation of the most advanced technologies of the future. Including the development of the 6th generation fighter.

Russian concept

How are things going in the domestic design school? Is there a chance that a Russian 6th generation fighter will appear soon? It is only known that the military leadership of the country has plans to create such a machine. There is some information that the Sukhoi company is engaged in developments in this direction. True, little is known about the possible timing of the start of development and the introduction of such an aircraft into production. Today, all the resources of domestic developers are directed to other Russian fighters - the T-50, which belongs to the 5th generation, as well as to the modernization of machines belonging to older models. But among experts there is a version that it is the T-50 that can become the basis for creating a 6th generation aircraft.

We have already said above that Russian designers can start creating a promising machine both on an unmanned basis and on the basis of technologies that involve participation in managementhuman plane. If the first option is chosen as a priority, then the Skat-type apparatus created by the MiG Design Bureau can be used as a basis for developments. The technologies used in it, according to experts, may well contribute to the appearance of the Russian 6th generation fighter in the foreseeable future.

At the same time, there are reports in the media that the first prototype of the 6th generation machine, created by engineers from the Russian Federation, will appear in the next 10-12 years. This, most likely, will be done by the United Aircraft Corporation. At the same time, it is noted that Russian aircraft designers have a chance to overtake the United States, which planned to create an aircraft of a similar class for the 2030s. At the same time, as experts note, engineers from the Russian Federation have not yet decided on the exact concept of a promising fighter, believing that its development is more of a scientific issue than a design one.