I want to add this specifications .
1."Stealth" is now called "Low Observable"
What used to be known as "stealth", experts have long called "low observable" (LO) - low detectible. It is not only about camouflage cap technology against radar, but about a comprehensive reduction of all signatures: radar, infrared, acoustics and even visible light.
What is striking is that many new designs do not have classic, striking control surfaces. Vertical chinds become smaller – or disappear altogether. Duck wings like the Eurofighter, Rafale or Gripen also seem to have served their time. Some concepts even dispense with moveable front edges on the wings.
The outer skin of the jets becomes smoother, more seamless - a flowing design without unnecessary edges. These include: complex cooling systems that dissipate frictional heat, especially at the hot-stressed front edge of the wing. Because LO no longer refers only to radar waves: Modern infrared sensors - especially since the 5th Generation – recognise heat signatures at long distances. The reduction of both the radar and the heat signature is therefore equally decisive today.
2.Engines: More thrust, more control
If aerodynamic control surfaces are reduced or completely omitted, the control over flight position and course must come from another source - the keyword is thrust vector control. Instead of rudders, the jet is steered by targeted deflection of the engine thrust - fast, precise and with little signature.
But this has its price: At the start, the engine has to perform more if adjustable surfaces are missing to generate the necessary buoyancy.
Modern air-to-air rockets such as Meteor, AIM-174B or the new AIM-260 have ever-increasing ranges. This forces so-called "force multipliers" such as AWACS aircraft or tankers to stay away from the combat area - the risk of becoming a target yourself is too great.
For combat aircraft of the 6th Generation means: more self-sufficiency. You have to carry larger fuel supplies, fly more sparingly - and all this without external additional tanks, because they are not compatible with stealth. A key technology for this is "Supercruise" - the supersonic flight without a post-burner. But the faster you fly, the hotter the outer skin gets. Where exactly the thermal limit lies remains a well-kept secret.
A central problem is the heat inside. The F-35 is already struggling with heat accumulation - ventilation slots for cooling to the outside would be effective, but would compromise the camouflage cap. The cooling must therefore take place from the inside. Next-generation engines must not only provide more thrust, but also provide significantly more thermal and electrical energy – for avionics, sensors, weapons systems and also cooling.
The key to this is the "Variable Cycle Engine" concept (VCE). It allows the engine to switch flexibly between efficiency and performance depending on the flight profile - a quantum leap compared to today's drives.
3.Network-centred warfare: Everything is networked – and multifunctional
Gone are the days when a radar was only a radar, a jammer only a jammer and a radio was only responsible for speech.
Today, transceiver antennas based on Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor modules in conjunction with software-defined transmitting and receiving units enable a completely new level of versatility.
The same system can - as required - act simultaneously as a radar, electronic jammer and as a beam-guided data radio. This reduces weight, saves space and makes the aircraft a highly networked node in the digital battlefield.
4.Communication without traces
Radio silence is ideal - because any active emission can be located by the opponent. Nevertheless, a combat aircraft of the 6. Generation is constantly receiving and sharing information. In order to remain undetected, only minimal energy is transmitted - purposefully and precisely. Since the position and direction of allied units are known, the radio beam can be aligned exactly with this - with the lowest possible transmission power and a narrow beam angle.
This also applies to communication with satellites. Because here, too, the following applies: Anyone who radios widely and strongly risks being discovered by opposing spy satellites. Those who send in a targeted and precise manner, on the other hand, remain hidden.
And there will be a lot to send: As a supersonic, all-round networked multispectral sensor platform, a 6th-class jet is used. Generation to the flying reconnaissance node. It delivers real-time data far beyond the capabilities of classic airspace surveillance – not only for their own combat aircraft, but also for ground troops, ships and even units in near-Earth orbit.
More than an F-35, the 6. Generation to the control centre in a battlefield that is networked across all domains.
5.Sensory: Seeing without being seen
The growing effort to avoid own signatures and to suppress any unnecessary emission is offset by highly developed sensors that can detect even the smallest traces - in all relevant frequency ranges.
Whether optical or radar-based detection, heat signatures or electromagnetic emissions: Every trace, no make weak, is detected, analysed, compared with extensive databases and precisely identified.
The system recognises what is flying, driving or swimming - and classifies it in fractions of a second. The goal is not only early threat detection, but a complete, networked situation picture in real time - without being discovered by yourself.
6.Signature hunting – also in peace
Signatures are always collected – not only in an emergency, but also in times of peace. From the laser beam of a rangefinder to the radar signature of a guided weapon search head: Each signal reveals something about its origin.
In the network network, such emissions can often be passively located and analysed - without sending them themselves. Ideally, this even allows precise location, identification and ultimately a fire line - unnoticed, at a great distance and without activating your own active sensors.
7.Drone control: The faithful wingman
More and more often, manned fighter jets operate in conjunction with unmanned aircraft. These so-called Collaborative Combat Aircraft – also known as “Loyal Wingman” – fly with, but often also ahead.
Equipped with sensors, electronic warfare and precise armament, they take over reconnaissance, deception, target marking or the first strike - often where the risk for manned systems would be too great. The 6th Generation doesn't just think about the swarm fight – it's built for it.
8.Human-machine ratio: The mixture does it
The ratio in which manned and unmanned systems will be procured is still open. Simulations on high-performance computers as well as findings from realistic manoeuvres are intended to provide information on this. But it is already clear now: losses are being calculated - especially on the part of the unmanned wingman. Their comparatively favourable production allows them to be used in high-risk scenarios where the protection of human pilots is a priority.
9.Artificial Intelligence: Data becomes a decision
The highly sensitive sensors - distributed over manned jets and unmanned companion drones - create a huge flood of data. This must be analysed in real time, evaluated and converted into useable information: for target identification, for passing on to the network or for the direct use of weapons.
Artificial intelligence pre-filters these amounts of data - decides what is only transmitted to the combat network and what must be displayed in the pilot's cockpit. It creates a prioritisation of threats, supports tactical decisions and ensures that people keep an overview.
But one thing remains unchanged: The final decision - whether to shoot or not - is always made by a human being.
10.Distance weapons against ground targets: attack from a distance
Modern, multi-layered anti-aircraft systems make it increasingly difficult for even stealth fighter aircraft to penetrate the close range of their targets. The answer is precise distance weapons that can be used far from the actual combat zone.
An example is the new stand-in attack weapon (SiAW) of the US Air Force. It is intended to enable aircraft to attack enemy radar positions and air Defence systems from distances of more than 200 kilometres - without falling within their range themselves. SiAW belongs to the class of Air-Launched Ballistic Missiles (ALBM), i.e. aerial-based ballistic missiles. Prominent representatives of this type are the Russian Kinschal or the Israeli Air Lore - potentially hypersonic fast and therefore extremely difficult to fend off.
At the same time, a new generation of cruise missiles is emerging: smaller, lighter, cheaper, more versatile and faster to produce. Systems with names such as Barracuda or Comet should be available in large numbers - designed to overwhelm enemy air Defence through sheer mass and effectively eliminate even well-protected targets.
11.Smaller, faster, further: next-generation air-to-air missiles
A new European development program is currently dedicated to a future short-range air-to-air missile: the Future Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (FSRM). It is specifically designed to meet the requirements of the 5th and 6th grade. Generation to be customised. The operational requirements have not yet been conclusively defined - but a conceivable ability could be the targeted use against opposing guided weapons.
Developments are also underway on the US side: With the Peregrine of Raytheon and the Cuda of Lockheed Martin, medium-range missiles are being created, which, with a comparable range, only take up half as much space as an AMRAAM - and are supposed to fly faster.
For the next generation of long-range missiles, such as the Long-Range Engagement Weapon (LREW), a two-stage design is emerging. In terms of range, speed and flight altitude, many things remain secret - or simply spectacularly speculative. One thing is certain: the future of these weapons will be multi-stage, faster and more intelligent - and operate well beyond today's standards.
12.Laser: light as a weapon
Bundled light is at the top of the technological agenda - the use of lasers in air combat is no longer considered science fiction, but a foregone conclusion.
Compact laser systems for self-Defence already exist: they are strong enough to blind or even damage the infrared search heads of flying rockets. However, for high-energy lasers in the range of 100 kW, with the potential to launch rockets or drones, there is still considerable technical progress. Currently, such systems require space and weight in the order of magnitude of a truck - so not (yet) an option for combat aircraft.
But the development is progressing rapidly. Miniaturisation, new energy sources and thermal management could soon produce ready-to-use systems.
