By Kris Osborn, Warrior
(Washington DC) The emerging yet mysterious and still uncertain F/A-XX carrier-launched stealth fighter continues to inspire the imagination, as it may introduce the stealthiest, fastest and most capable maritime fighter the world has ever seen.
Indeed there have been many technological breakthroughs since the dawn of the now cutting edge stealthy, carrier-launched F-35C, yet some might be inclined to wonder if there are capability advances sufficient to justify a new F/A-XX platform. This seems to be a fair question, given the massive extent to which the F-35C can be continuously upgraded.Block 4 software upgrades, for example, will introduce the next-generation Stormbreaker and AARGM-ER weapons, computing can be continuously upgraded with AI-capable systems and stealth coating and radar absorbent materials can also be improved in coming years. Therefore, is there truly an operational need for an F/A-XX in light of the continued promise of the highly capable F-35C?
While there are certain to be many unknowns when it comes to this question, there do appear to be some potentially paradigm-changing technological advances in recent years which strongly support the argument for an F/A-XX. There continue to be defining advances in the realm of stealth technology, fighter jet range capability, sensing and targeting fidelity and AI-enabled computing and data processing.
Stealth Breakthroughs
In terms of pure stealth, the available renderings of F/A-XX configurations would seem to indicate that there have been substantial breakthroughs with efforts to reduce radar signature of a fighter jet. It appears possible that an F/A-XX jet could be built to achieve fighter jet-like agility, speed and performance parameters with a fully horizontal, ultra-stealthy bomber-like blended wing-body fuselage configuration. Stealth bombers such as the B-2 and B-21 are regarded as being the stealthiest in existence given their purely horizontal smooth, rounded exterior. The absence of protruding structures, tails and vertical shapes offers ground-based enemy radar “pings” very few contours off of which to “bounce” and generate a return rendering. A B-21, for instance, is expected to appear like a small bird to enemy radar systems.
Fighter jets, while still stealthy, are considered less stealthy than high altitude bombers because they have historically needed fins, tails, sharp angles and other protruding structures to “vector” and aerodynamically achieve air combat agility. However, it appears technological breakthroughs in aerial maneuverability may enable a purely horizontal stealth fighter such as the F-47 or F/A-XX to achieve F-22 and F-35-like air dominance with a much stealthier, bomber-like airframe. In essence, the F/A-XX could have B-21-like stealth capability combined with F-22 speed and aerial maneuverability. This possibility alone, it seems, could be sufficient to justify the need to build an entirely new aircraft.
AI, Sensing, Range
The F-35 was deliberately engineered to accommodate sensing, computing and weapons upgrades with technical standards designed to integrate new technologies as they emerge. This will serve the aircraft well into the future and helps explain why the Pentagon plans to fly the F-35 into the 2070s. However, there could be advances in the realm of AI, sensing, targeting and range sufficient to require a new jet which is yet another generation beyond the F-35. It is possible that, despite the F-35s upgrade potential, there could be limitations on the extent of new mission systems, sensing and AI-enabled computing its hardware could accommodate. It might be necessary to engineer an entirely new aircraft in order to best leverage an entirely new generation of AI, long-range sensing and weaponry.
F/A-XX Range?
For example, the F-35 arguably suffers from a range challenge in the Pacific. Parts of Southern Japan are a few hundred miles from Taiwan, and Manila in the Philippines is about 925km from Taiwan, distances potentially within reach of an F-35A should it be stationed there.
The F-35C has a range of roughly 1,300 miles, so that means it would need to operate roughly 500 miles from the coast of mainland China to be able to project power with some dwell time and return to its carrier. However, China’s famous DF-26 “carrier killer” missile can travel ranges out to 2,000 miles, so it is unclear if US Navy carriers could risk projecting power from only 500 miles off shore. This is why the US Navy will deploy its MQ-25 Stingray carrier-launched refueler drone, as it could potentially double the strike range of an ocean-launched F-35C.
A new F/A-XX, however, might be engineered to travel much longer distances. Therefore, with a massively longer attack range, longer range sensors and next-generation weapons, a new 6th-generation F/A-XX might have more success operating at greater distances off shore more survivable for carriers.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University