USAF/USN 6th Gen Fighters - F/A-XX, F-X, NGAD, PCA, ASFS News & Analysis

RadicalDisconnect said:
One part about CCAs that doesn't make sense though, the Anduril YFQ-44 carries weapons externally, which will make it unstealthy. So how is it to operate with stealth aircraft like the F-22 or NGAD? Even if they fly at more standoff distances they still more vulnerable to getting picked off. The General Atomics YFQ-42 does have internal weapons bays so that might not be as much of concern.
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I thought that’s only phase one? If you want to get serious about requirements they won’t even have onboard radars…
 
It’s unclear to me if either CCA model has internal bays for BVR AAMs. It is a little challenging to have a 12’+ aperture on a 30’ airframe. The XQ-67A does not appear to have such to my eyes but perhaps the CCA version does. Fury’s CCA may or may not as well.

I think it is important to remember that these aircraft will not serve as wingmen in a traditional sense of the word and likely would be quite a distance from the controller. And as unmanned aircraft, their signature reduction matters less.
 
FQ-44 with external stores can be used for DCA, CAP and escort applications to name a few roles that are less LO sensitive; heck they’d be perfect for enforcing no fly zones, be they in the Middle East or Eastern Europe! Alternately, if GA can roster as least two AAMs in the -42s IWB, a heterodimer (sorry to use the protein engineer term) of a FQ-42 shooter coupled with a FQ-44 spotter as a two ship hunter/killer concept, seems very doable in the very near term. I think this concept is “ok” with AMRAAM, but could get quite spicy with JATM. Further CCA increments with long-loiter time and larger IWB capacity might help create an effector “cloud”. Like in certain parts of the world, no target is more than 100 miles away from at least one “remote effector node” that you can order timely AAM tasking from. That would be something nice to have if DAF can get its air and space based sensor network and transport layers built up for real time, theater wide A/GMTI.

Edit: thanks for pointing out my fqup nmaude!
 
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Training_Dummy said:
Qf-44 with external stores can be used for DCA, CAP and escort applications to name a few roles that are less LO sensitive; heck they’d be perfect for enforcing no fly zones, be they in the Middle East or Eastern Europe! Alternately, if GA can roster as least two AAMs in the -42s IWB, a heterodimer (sorry to use the protein engineer term) of a QF-42 shooter coupled with a QF-44 spotter as a two ship hunter/killer
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FQ-42 and FQ-44 as these are drone-fighters not drone conversion of fighter jets.
 
It should also be noted that this is just the first iteration of these craft, and that they are probably for testing as much as operational use.

External carriage of a pair of AAMs on pylons only rated for ~500 pounds probably does not make a huge radar target if they are shaped correctly. Most any non 5th gen fighter would have a larger return than either FQ.
 
As we are now seeing what seems to be Chinese next Gen. prototypes in flight.
More of a curiosity (after 245 pages) After all this time, Is there any actual evidence the US. has built or flown manned demonstrators of the '6th Gen.' proposals ? (other than hinted UAV. configuration demonstrators ?) or are we still talking design studies at this stage ?
 
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