US ambitions to build 6th generation fighter to counter Russia - China

The US and its allies are working to build a new generation of fighters to maintain air superiority in the face of rising rivals Russia and China.

For more than two decades, American fighter jets and their European allies have dominated the skies. However, the rise of Russia and China is gradually narrowing the technological gap, forcing the US to consider building a new generation of fighter jets to maintain its advantage, according to the WSJ.

Sketch of Northrop Grumman's 6th generation stealth fighter. Photo: Northrop Grumman

The US Air Force currently possesses two types of 5th generation stealth fighters, considered the most modern in the world. The F-35 multi-role fighter has high stealth capabilities and is specially designed to carry out limited precision air strikes.The F-22 stealth fighter, which entered service in 2005, can shoot down enemy aircraft traveling at twice the speed of sound, and can penetrate deep into enemy territory to conduct destructive airstrikes and gather intelligence.

Meanwhile, America's main rivals such as Russia and China have also made great strides in the technology of manufacturing 5th generation stealth aircraft.

Russia plans to put the T-50, its first stealth fighter, into service in 2018. This is a twin-engine aircraft designed for high maneuverability, equipped with advanced electronic systems to detect enemy aircraft from a distance.

China puts J-20 into testing, typeThe fighter jet is quite similar to the American F-22, since 2011, although it has not been put into service in the military. A year later, Beijing began test flights of the FC-31 fighter jet, a design similar to the American F-35 fighter jet.

In addition, both Russia and China possess advanced air defense systems. Moscow says its new S-400 missile system can shoot down aircraft at a distance of up to 379 km. China has expressed interest in purchasing this advanced air defense system from Russia.

To deal with these new threats, the US Air Forcebegan developing more modern new generation stealth aircraft. In addition to the goal of developing the Penetrating Air Defense (PCA) fighter to fly alongside the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the US Air Force is considering building a completely new 6th generation stealth fighter.

In May, the US Navy launched an 18-month evaluation process to find a way to build a new generation fighter by 2035 to replace the fleet of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters that are about to expire.

US F-35B fighter jet. Photo: US Marine Corps

While the Pentagon is still defining the exact features it wants on its next-generation fighter, defense contractors such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have already begun sketching out the capabilities of the future fighter.

European countries have also recently begun considering developing new fighter jets to counter the threat from Russia, according to Douglas Barrie, a senior expert on military aviation at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

In addition tobuy F-35 fighters to modernize the air force,The British Ministry of Defense plans to cooperate technologically with the US and France to develop new fighter jets.

Germany also wants a new fighter to replace its aging Tornado fighters and is considering both manned and unmanned options.

No one knows the specific features of the sixth-generation stealth fighter, but after the long and costly development process of fifth-generation fighters such as the F-22 and F-35, the affordable price and simplicity will be welcomed in this new generation fighter, military expert Kyle Mizokami commented.

According to VNE