Posted on 09/17/2020 12:32:54 PM PDT by Mariner
The U.S. Air Force announced it has already flown a new prototype fighter.
We know virtually nothing about the new plane ... other than it exists.
Most observers did not expect a new fighter for another decade.
The U.S. Air Force revealed this week that it has secretly designed, built, and tested a new prototype fighter jet. The fighter, about which we know virtually nothing, has already flown and broken records. The Air Force must now consider how it will buy the new fighter as it struggles to acquire everything from intercontinental ballistic missiles to bombers.
The Air Forces head of acquisition, Will Roper, made the announcement yesterday in an exclusive interview with Defense News, in conjunction with the Air Force Associations virtual Air, Space, and Cyber Conference.
The Air Force built the new fighter under its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which aims to build a jet that would supplement, and perhaps even replace, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
The Air Force built 186 Raptors, of which only about 123 are capable of the jets full spectrum of combat roles. And at current readiness levels, only around 64 of the fifth-generation fighters are ready to fight at a moments notice.
According to Defense News, the Air Force developed the new fighter in about a yeara staggeringly short amount of time by modern standards. The Air Force first developed a virtual version of the jet, and then proceeded to build and fly a full-sized prototype, complete with mission systems. This is in stark contrast to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Not in this case.
A year from concept to flying prototype for a modern fighter...is a game changer.
So true.
It looks like a triangle had offspring with a B-2. No VS.
Shocking for anything government.
That said, in that time frame, we can assume a number of things.
The Avionics is from X
The airframe is from Y
The anti-radar surface is from Z
The engines are from P
Etc. It's probably a Franken plane. It may be something great, but to have that kind of accelerated development means that much of what is is made of comes from something else that is already available.
It is designated the FA-3-101. Just between us, don’t tell anyone....
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/fulton-airphibian-fa-3-101/nasm_A19600127000
I wonder if it can be flown from a console in Virginia? Is the pilot is optional?
The ultimate vaporware.
I would think the air frame is a new design.
All the rest likely the product of previous development.
That said, my understanding is that all systems besides the air frame are modular and can be swapped for more modern, feature-rich versions.
Common engines, hydraulics and electrical bus are DESIRABLE features.
“means”
May mean.
“The ultimate vaporware. “
Except it is flying.
Star wars..
Go ahead China, keep spending money...
Back in the 80's it was the Wall Street Journal that detected the production of the F-117 without ever seeing the craft.
They looked at the quarterly reports and determined that type of cash-flow could only be the result of an aircraft production line.
That’s The NAVY’s version, silly....................
So, it’s not a tictac?;-)
...aaaand to the Navy, it kinda looks like a tictac.
https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2020/09/15/the-us-air-force-has-built-and-flown-a-mysterious-full-scale-prototype-of-its-future-fighter-jet/
AND JUST WHO WAS PRESIDENT, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF ALL THE ARMED FORCES, AS THIS PLANE WAS DEVELOPED, BUILT AND FLOWN?...................................
Well, this is wonderful news. I didn’t’ thing we would ever see something like this again. It should put the all perfumed princes responsible for acquiring new hardware to shame!
So, who built it and where?
And what firm will produce it for the USAF?
My guess... just as Trump is accelerating development of a vaccine, he is also allowing the military to experiment and develop weapons of the future based on their needs.
The big question is what is the cost per plane? I suppose producing a prototype within a year will certainly keep development costs down and thus lower the per plane costs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.