Defense contractor Northrop Grumman has announced plans to develop a "sixth-generation" stealth aircraft called Air Dominance. This move came after countries such as China and Japan recently declared that they are already on the verge of unveiling their respective fifth-generation stealth superjets, as HNGN previously reported. The fifth generation classification is still considered the most advanced aircraft today, with only two countries boasting actual technology.
The concept of the new fighter jet is still a closely guarded secret. Available information, however, points to three possible specifications. The first is that it will purportedly fly at supersonic speeds, according to the Daily Mail. Secondly, it will be equipped with an large arsenal of advanced weaponry. Since it can not count on many bases overseas, carrying a lot of weapon and long-range flight are keys to its survivability, Chris Hernandez, vice president for research, technology and advanced design at Northrop, told Breaking Defense. The rumor is that it will include a cutting-edge laser weapon.
Finally, the Air Dominance jet fighter will run with an advanced cooling system to make it even more invisible to radar scans and to cloak its laser systems. Northrop notes that the lasers have immense heat footprint ,and when the aircraft's power and thrust systems are factored in, the heat level will spike up even further. The aircraft will therefore introduce new technology that can significantly dissipate it to achieve low observability.
