Next generation fighter is announced!
- Thread starter Formerly Rockymtnole
- Start date
Was going to be the F-69 but that’s more of a lover, not a fighter.
They will put Musk on it and he will proclaim they will be available by 2026. 2027 at the latest.
orange colored, big and bulky, can hardly get off the ground???
They should be investing in unmanned drones vs this.
Gotta have a self destruct feature like his rockets to be delivered that early!
even without spying i think our enemies already have advance knowledge about design elements that will govern the F-69
hawkeyetraveler
HB Heisman
So you both think we aren’t “investing” in unmanned aircraft/drones? Why is it drones vs. manned fighters? Why can’t it be both? Do you think drones currently serve the same purpose as manned fighters (same tool)?
hawkeyetraveler
HB Heisman
To me it’s a question of imagining a future state 10+ years from now. With computer vision, AI, etc I would be shocked if a human based fighter could hold its own against a machine that can perform maneuvers well beyond the limits of human capability.
It seems a bit antiquated is all.
Seems antiquated because of what you imagine the future to be? Interesting. Is your background in communication systems, engineering, military, etc? Not trying to be an ass, just trying to gauge your awareness on the subject. Are you familiar with the current limitations for drones, be it fully human operated, or the HITL and HOTL variants?
I’m not saying there isn’t value in drones, or that they won’t occupy a larger mission set in the future, but you will need to have them meet (or exceed) manned fighters in order to replace them. It’s not antiquated if it can’t be beat. Until then, and to avoid a gap, you will still see countries putting asses in seats. They run war games/scenarios routinely to determine the best “mix” of acft/tech. Does China’s continued effort to develop next gen, manned fighters add validity to their current and near future (not antiquated) usefulness?
Part of the role of the F-47 will be leading and coordinating drone activities. That’s part of the development of Gen6 aircraft.
Boeing Wins F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter Contract (Updated)
The Air Force's next and possibly last manned tactical jet will be built by Boeing.
www.twz.com
They are. The Trumpster is being designed to fly in a combat environment in which it coordinates and directs drones.
hawkeyetraveler
HB Heisman
I have worked in technology for 30 years. I was very active in vehicle automation on roads so have a pretty good understanding of computer vision systems, AI, etc. US Military was a customer of stuff I have worked on, but in fairness I have zero experience with drones vs fighters. It just seems like autonomous capabilities are the future and I assume we are looking out 10-30 years before we see a new fighter. In that timeframe I expect massive leaps in AI. Not sure a human will beat a machine even 5 years from now to be honest. But again I know very little about aerospace applications.
Not sure a human won’t beat a machine at what though (in 5 years)? FSD automobiles are perfect now? Do you know how much more difficult it is to translate that concept to not only flying, but dog fighting? What about communication/telemetry issues (spoof/intercept) if not full AI? With no human in the loop, how are “judgement calls” made with less than perfect intel?
If we didn’t invest in a next gen manned fighter, and put all of our eggs in the drone/AI basket…what happens if that technology never matures to a point it can truly replace a human? or matures much more slowly than anticipated? You are now behind those that still put energy into a manned warfighter.
Again, I am not advocating or predicting a manned fighter will always be superior or needed. My contention is there is still a role for both, and advancing each is currently in our best interest.
Don't think Boeing defense engineers are going to let Mr. "make it more pointy" make decisions for them when it comes to fighter aircraft.
hawkeyetraveler
HB Heisman
The eggs in one basket is a convincing argument. I still think most energy should be directed to automated capabilities, but I agree we cannot get locked into one paradigm only. No quarrel from me there.
Having said that we also need to dramatically cut what we spend on our military. I wonder what it would take to develop the 47 for like 1/4 the cost (or less) of the F35?
Yes. Especially considering we are behind in the technology.
America Turns to Ukraine to Build Better Drones
Silicon Valley is tapping into the know-how of war-trained drone makers; ‘no U.S. company is keeping up with Ukraine’
Don't put it past Trump to have his image plastered all over this thing. Because crap like this is what he loves.
It starts with the customer providing well defined requirements and the supplier being bullish about scope creep. Plenty of room for improvement from a program management standpoint throughout of the development cycle.
I don't know, Boeing doesn't exactly have a winning track record lately either.
The F-69 is a multi purpose machine. It can even toss a salad.
