US Air Force Speeds up Development of its Sixth-Generation Fighter Before China Fly

 

Lockheed Martin's F-35, fifth-generation fighter, hasn't hit full rate production yet, but the Air Force is already accelerating the development of a sixth generation fighter as China ramps up its military and Air Force regarding speed of innovations.

The US is investing more than $10 billion in the platform over the next five years, $2.7 billion more than previously planned, for the Next Generation Air Dominance system, which will likely include a fighter to replace current fifth generation platforms like the F-35 and F-22.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters at a conference in Orlando that the system will have a "renewed emphasis" on electronic warfare, according to Aviation Week.

The company's Advanced Development Programs more popularly known as Skunk Works is the legendary research and development lab that developed the U-2 spy plane, stealthy F-117 Nighthawk, and the SR-71 Blackbird, which holds the record as the fastest-ever jet.

Boeing which is also developing plans for a sixth-generation fighter

While the fifth-generation F-35 still has to go through its rigorous combat testing later this year, the Air Force is already investing heavily into a follow-on fighter.

National Defense Strategy from the Pentagon emphasized a shift toward focusing on global competitors. And while China and Russia continues to be a growing threat, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said.

Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division told over the summer that a sixth-gen fighter would likely feature improved stealth as radar capabilities expand across the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as more autonomy, hypersonic technology and defensive laser systems.

National Defense Strategy from the Pentagon emphasized a shift toward focusing on global competitors. And while Russia continues to be a growing threat, Wilson said that China is the "pacing threat" for the Air Force regarding speed of innovations.

China is expected to field a hypersonic weapon, that can fly five times the speed of sound, sometime in the next decade.

The Defense Department got a big boost in spending under the latest budget and the Air Force plans to use some of its money on pushing the development of its own hypersonic strike weapon.

Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon and Orbital ATK,  are in the running for a hypersonic programs.

The Air Force's speeds up the development of the next generation fighter on details about what a new Fighter might look like?