I'd be surprised if the NGAD is designed for more than 8000 hours. If it's as big as an F-111 like I expect it will be, it may only be stressed to 7.5gees instead of 9 at MTOW.
I'm starting to lean towards a sustained supersonic flight profile like Blackbirds, just M2 (give or take) instead of M3+.
STOL requirements were dropped by USAF. Both YF22 and 23 had the space for the full thrust reversers like the Eagle SMTD.
Valid point.
Looking at s/n 36011 (whatever the hell the official designation ends up being, J-36 seems likely based on numbering), it's obviously a big heavy plane, on the order of Su34 weight if not more. I still feel that it's more like a striker than a WVR dogfighter, though it may be more of an interceptor/primarily BVR fighter rather than a striker.
Even Germany and Italy were wanting longer range than Typhoon, since the front lines of NATO are now ~700km east of Germany at the minimum.
Since the LLMs are starting to show collapses due to them "eating"/analyzing LLM-created bullshit, I doubt that we will see LLMs on military aircraft.
