Air Force Chief: 6th-Gen NGAD Stealth Fighter Will Use AI to Network Drones

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The Air Force’s fast emerging 6th-generation stealth fighter jet is expected to pioneer new, paradigm-changing levels of AI evidence in sensing, computing, weapons integration, networking and an unprecedented ability to operate drones from the cockpit.

US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin referenced the service’s now developing Collaborative Combat Aircraft family of unmanned systems intended to fly alongside and support manned 6th-generation Next-Generation Air Dominance stealth fighters. Speaking recently at the Reagan Defense Forum in Washington DC, Allvin mentioned the Collaborative Combat Aircraft in the context of future applications of AI.

“I do believe the future is going to be about human-machine teaming,” Allvin said at the forum, as quoted in an Air Force essay. “Optimizing the performance and being able to operate at speed. That investment in our collaborative combat aircraft program is what is going to get us there.”

Allvin’s use of the term “human-machine” teaming is likely quite deliberate, as the prevailing strategic thinking regarding the integration of AI is to “combine” attributes and capabilities unique to human decision-making and perceptions with the paradigm-changing speeds of AI. This means a 6th-gen aircraft will, as Allvin referred to, network “wingman” drones with breakthrough speeds and efficiency. Incoming ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) data can not only be organized, processed and analyzed in milliseconds but detailed relevant information can transmit across an entire formation of manned and unmanned systems in real time, something which expedites targeting, target verification and two-way communication throughout operations using both manned and unmanned teaming.

Allvin’s comments also align with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s priority upon service “imperatives,” key areas of focus which include networking the arriving 6th-gen aircraft as a “family of systems.” This, as Allvin suggested, introduces new tactical possibilities.

Drone-Fighter Jet AI-enabled “Networking”