Obviously manned fighters will be around for some time, but if this is the emerging trend then eventually manned fighters will go extinct, what then as regards the same issue?
The urgency is to have a powerfull Air Force the drone war of Ukraine is going nowhere , no winner , to win you must dominate the sky.
As a few threads tout AI thought the members would find interest in this recent Goldman Sachs release
Gen AI: too much spend, too little benefit?
www.goldmansachs.com
They'd have a lot less utility if one side could gain air-superiority and leverage that to decimate enemy artillery and other assets. Enabling forces on the ground to maneuver and make breakthroughs instead of being bogged down in this present wasteful war of attrition.
The cynic in me thinks it means the people in charge don't know what they want.
Or NGAD is a completly different aircraft than a F-22 more like a fighter with bomber style and size.
defensescoop.com
I see the Air Force is taking procurement lessons from the Navy.
Yes, I was thinking about the intermediate range or 'theatre' weapons such as Tomahawk and Pershing that were based in the UK and Europe in the 80s.
www.airandspaceforces.com
The ground crews still need to train on the CCAs.
I think more and more than the NGAD is a supersonic command and control aircraft with the capacity of shooting long range AA missile, not maneuver or dog fighting like F-22 of today.Wilsbach: Air Force Should Keep the Block 20 F-22s It Asked to Retire
The Air Force should keep the 32 F-22s it asked to retire, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, head of Air Combat Command, said.
I full realize that with a limited budget you need to make choices. But keeping the Block 20s was a no brainer when the F-22s are among the youngest and most capable fighters in service, especially when you have so few F-22s in the inventory. I'm surprised that it took so long for someone to say this. The campaign to retire the Block 20s reminds me of the messiness this last month with NGAD. AF leadership said the Block 20s were next to useless for training because they didn't represent operational F-22s. Then they ended up admitting that Block 30s would need to be pulled from operational squadrons to backfill Block 20s in training squadrons. Now they are signaling they would like to keep the Block 20s.Wilsbach: Air Force Should Keep the Block 20 F-22s It Asked to Retire
The Air Force should keep the 32 F-22s it asked to retire, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, head of Air Combat Command, said.
The only thing that worries me is that it almost sounds like a repeat of Vietnam when the F-4's were fielded. When everyone's cards are all exhausted, I feel turn and burn will be the game again.
Technically the statement that right now they have no F-22 replacement is true: This is correct until they sign an actual contract.
www.defensenews.com
www.flightglobal.com
Perhaps this is how they incorporate NGAP into how the engine works? It's hard to tell but that would be extremely complex to make a series of separate exhaust systems off of one engine per power unit. It fits the bill of three stage adaptive cycle engines but this just leaves my head spinning on how to make it all work the right way.
That's an odd flight profile.
Not so odd if NGAD is a purported BVR beast command and control platform. But who knows! I'm ready to see this darn thing already. Better assumptions can be had once a real product is shown!
Why is it slowing down at all?
