The first flight of the sixth-generation aircraft is just a concept, and it has just completed a virtual test in the laboratory! The real thing is that the first verification aircraft is still a shell. With the current epidemic situation in the United States and domestic conflicts, no one knows how long this aircraft shell will remain in its shell state! However, the United States is afraid that China will release the sixth-generation aircraft first, and rushing to release it before China is in line with the US's arrogance and hegemony! Because China has entered the verification stage of the sixth-generation machine, which means that at least there is a finished product! This is intolerable to the United States, so it can only announce the virtual first flight of the laboratory in advance!
An important purpose of the United States' preemptive research and development of sixth-generation aircraft is to explore and determine the standards for sixth-generation aircraft. At present, there are no accurate standards for sixth-generation aircraft. Whether they are unmanned, can fly into outer space, have enhanced stealth capabilities, endurance, faster supersonic cruise, etc., everything is still being explored.
Take the F22 as an example. The project was established in 1971, the development period was from 1985 to 2001, the first flight was in 1997, and it entered service in 2005. During the development, there were two projects competing, one was Lockheed Martin's YF22, and the other was Northrop Grumman's YF23. In the end, the YF22 project won. This is now the most powerful fighter F22. .
At present, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy have different requirements for the use of aircraft. The two services are developing sixth-generation aircraft respectively. The current first flight is a sixth-generation aircraft of the U.S. Air Force. It is an experimental verification aircraft and is still not far away from finalization. Third-rate companies sell hard work, second-rate companies sell products, first-rate companies sell patents, and super-first-rate companies sell standards. The actual meaning is to make advertisements in advance.
Sixth generation aircraft refers to fighter jets that are more advanced than the American F-22, F-35, Russian Su-57 and Chinese J-20. Compared with fifth-generation aircraft, sixth-generation aircraft are ahead in performance, combat capabilities and versatility. What exactly are sixth-generation machines like?
(1) Super stealth ability. First of all, it has a stealth appearance, has a better aerodynamic layout, and is sprayed with more advanced radar-absorbing paint. The radar reflection signal and infrared heat signal are greatly reduced, making it difficult for opponents to detect its traces. There is also speculation that the sixth generation will adopt plasma stealth technology. ?
(2) Laser weapons will subvert the air combat model. The U.S. Air Force has proposed to equip fighter jets with laser cannon pods starting in 2021, which will have certain dazzling and lethal capabilities. In the future, the laser cannons equipped on sixth-generation aircraft will be more powerful and have complete hard-kill capabilities. They can not only intercept incoming air-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft missiles, but also silently attack the opponent's fighter jets and ascending missiles. ballistic missiles. Therefore, future sixth-generation aircraft may also have anti-missile capabilities. ?
(3) Super maneuverability. In terms of maneuverability, compared to fifth-generation aircraft, sixth-generation aircraft can complete some more difficult actions. Due to the use of variable camber wings and high thrust ratio engines, the sixth-generation aircraft will be able to demonstrate super maneuverability in subsonic and supersonic flight. The future fighter is super smart. Artificial intelligence will assist pilots in controlling the aircraft, and pilots only need to make decisions more often. This kind of sixth-generation machine integrated with AI cannot be defeated by ordinary fifth-generation machines and fourth-generation machines. ?
(4) Hypersonic cruise. The U.S. military's sixth-generation fighter will adopt a twin-engine shape without a vertical tail, and its speed will be higher than Mach 5. If it adopts subsonic cruise mode, its endurance will be as high as 50 hours, and its combat radius will reach an unprecedented tens of thousands of kilometers. If it uses superb In sonic cruise mode, its combat radius exceeds 1,600 kilometers. ?
(5) The radar power is greater. The sixth-generation aircraft will adopt smart skin antenna technology. By embedding antennas, sensors, transmitters, receivers, signal and information processors, radio frequency cables, power cables, electrical control cables and temperature control equipment into the aircraft skin, Fighter planes can detect enemies at a greater distance and detect them earlier and more accurately. Network combat capabilities have become more prominent. Through various built-in data links, sixth-generation aircraft will be able to more comprehensively perceive the battlefield situation, collect information from various nodes on land, sea, air, and space, and truly have the integrated combat capability of "knowing yourself and the enemy, and being able to survive a hundred battles". ?
Airborne weapons are more advanced. Compared with the fifth-generation aircraft currently in service, in addition to being able to mount more advanced all-directional attack missiles, the sixth-generation aircraft will also be equipped with laser and microwave directed energy weapons for close-range self-defense, allowing it to perform a variety of missions around the clock.
By using laser or microwave directed energy weapons, sixth-generation aircraft can achieve close-range "instant kill" against fifth-generation aircraft, making fifth-generation aircraft difficult to defend against.