Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

From what I know, the United States is the only country which currently has a true 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft in service (the F-22). What country do you believe will be the next to develop such an aircraft? Are there any nations which currently have the finances and technological expertise to develop a 5th generation fighter jet? If not, will any countries be able to develop a 5th generation fighter before the USA moves on and creates a 6th generation fighter?

I've seen several proposals for stealth fighter projects:

-Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA (Russia)
-Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin (Japan)
-Shenyang/Chengdu J-XX (China)
-Medium Combat Aircraft (India)
-Korea Airspace Industry KFX (South Korea)

Will anything likely come of these projects? Is it likely that any of them will be completed on schedule (for those that currently have a schedule)? I've read some criticism of the PAK FA and J-XX programs in particular on this board before, so should I get my hopes up on seeing the T-50 fly next year?

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Salute!

Yep!

Folks are now using cosmic computers to model all the RF that hits and reflects back.

Unfortunately, recent developments at DreamLand are way, way ahead.

- Yehudi lights. Imagine an entire jet with LCD's all over that match background lighting?

- New RAM developed using nanotech. Can';t go further.

- Then there's the "cloaking device" from that Roswell craft we've been studying for 50 years.

And the beat goes on ...

Gums sends ...

heh, heh, heh...Gums said "Yehudi"

Gums!

Great to see a concept from WWII being brought back - Yehudi Cool

Of course, now they're prolly looking at that newfangled stuff that makes stuff invisible to certain wavelengths, too Smile

Kryptid - I wouldn't think that Gums looks down on 'em, I think he's just more positive on the U.S. stuff Wink

Gums
You forgot to tell him about the flying robots, so small they can't be seen in flight. Nasty buggers though!

Kryptid wrote:

From what I know, the United States is the only country which currently has a true 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft in service (the F-22). What country do you believe will be the next to develop such an aircraft? Are there any nations which currently have the finances and technological expertise to develop a 5th generation fighter jet? If not, will any countries be able to develop a 5th generation fighter before the USA moves on and creates a 6th generation fighter?

I've seen several proposals for stealth fighter projects:

-Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA (Russia)
-Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin (Japan)
-Shenyang/Chengdu J-XX (China)
-Medium Combat Aircraft (India)
-Korea Airspace Industry KFX (South Korea)

Will anything likely come of these projects? Is it likely that any of them will be completed on schedule (for those that currently have a schedule)? I've read some criticism of the PAK FA and J-XX programs in particular on this board before, so should I get my hopes up on seeing the T-50 fly next year?

Let's clarify this. So far, the US has developed the F-117, B-2, F-22, and now the F-35 stealth aircraft. Everyone else? Zero.

Of the airplanes either proposed or under developed, Japan's ATD-X has been put on permanent hold, while South Korea's KFX has remained a distant fantasy. Neither Japan, nor South Korea have been willing to invest the necessary budget to make such a development program feasible. South Korea just doesn't have the economic muscle to contemplate such an airplane, and while Japan could conceivably find the means if they really wanted to, their overal military budget to date has been far too anemic to make such a program a possibility.
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... runch.html

As for India's Medium Combat Aircraft, the Indian air force has yet to authorize a budget for anything resembling a next generation fighter program. Bear in mind that their current Light Combat Aicraft or Tejas fighter began development in 1983, and still has yet to reach operational service. India's best bet at a low-observable platform is their current investment in the Russian PAK-FA.

That leaves Russia's PAK-FA and China's J-XX as the only funded programs outside of the US aimed at producing a low observable platform. The PAK-FA (or T-50, as the prototype is expected to be designated) will reportedly fly next year. China, meanwhile, reportedly down-selected between competing Shenyang and Chengdu fighter concepts, in favor of the Chengdu proposal just this past year. If true, China'a J-XX wouldn't be flying - even as a prototype - for several years.

tmofarrvl wrote:

Let's clarify this. So far, the US has developed the F-117, B-2, F-22, and now the F-35 stealth aircraft. Everyone else? Zero.

...and that's just the inventory that "John Q. Public" knows about! Laughing

Good post Tmo. It's always good to read a post from someone who actually seems to know what they're talking about, as opposed to your usual "fanboys", debating some random Su or MiG that hasn't even been built, but supposedly has the ability to kill a flight of Raptors. Rolling Eyes

Sure...

Kryptid - It's ALL about the computers.

When the F-117 was being developed, computing power could only deal with a simple, faceted design.

Along comes the B-2 and it can deal with a rounded, flying wing design.

Then the F-22 comes and now they can deal with inlets that are exposed to the enemy radar emissions.

I wasn't sure. I knew that RCS could be approximated with scale models, so I figured that they had used that method a lot.

Doesn't sound like any country with access to contemporary computer technology would have too much trouble making an aircraft design that could rival the F-22/F-35's low-observable geometry, then.

I suppose it's more of a money matter than anything else?

Besides computers, you need the software modeling to accurately determine the shape of the aircraft. Add to that the manufacturing tech needed to produce an absolutely perfect replication to what was modeled.

Throw in materials tech and you get an idea that a lot of superior tech, in many areas, is needed to produce a VLO aircraft.

Forum: Modern Military Aircraft

Stealth fighters not indigenous to the USA?