Pentagon Develops New AI, Computer Processing & Hardware For 6th-Gen Stealth

By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

(Washington, D.C.) While next to nothing is known publicly about the now airborne Air Force sixth-generation aircraft, it would by no means be considered a stretch to expect that it is being built to be faster and far more maneuverable than any stealth fighter in existence.

• Does it have superior speed, Super Cruise-like propulsion technology, and dogfighting prowess when compared to the F-22 stealth fighter jet?

• Does it bring new generations of computing speed and artificial intelligence (AI)-informed analysis to air combat?

There are well-known technical parameters to achieve speed and dogfighting capabilities, including improved thrust-to-weight ratios, high-speed vectoring, engine propulsion technologies and lightweight composite airframes. Yet there is another way to optimize maneuverability and speed potential through streamlined “multi-function hardware,” a concept now being explored in depth by the Pentagon and many of its industry partners.

Multi-Function Hardware

Developers describe a “multi-function hardware” type of approach as a way to integrate a variety of otherwise disparate functions into a single operational system. The idea is to reduce a warplane’s size, weight, and power consumption while, perhaps most significantly, exponentially improve information processing.

For instance, Jason “Tex” Clark, Director for Advanced Mission Systems, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, promoted this concept as far back as 2021 during a Raytheon event. “I really believe we’re moving into an era that incorporates the idea of multifunction hardware. And what do I mean by that?