Why there might NEVER be a 7th generation fighter

There's been a great deal of discussion about the forthcoming 6th generation of fighters, believed to be led by the U.S. Air Force's ongoing Next Generation Air Dominance Program... But do these generational designations still make sense?
Let's talk about why we may see this sort of fighter classification die out in the coming years, and why that might just be okay.
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[@adamconnell5965]

B-21 is certified Gluten Free!

[@danielmartin7838]

Not vegan, it aims to BBQ chinese ribs

[@AxisGMD2010]

lol

[@unknownokay259]

I'd disagree with you on that

[@MatyasFrank-bf7cv]

I love how you pointed out that the "organic" and "x gen" keywords are just marketing. But I very much doubt that figters will stop at 7th gen

[@rajat9619]

There has to be something to defeat 6th gen so there will be 7th gen fighter jet but most probably all AI-UCAVs, high altitude, high supersonic Mach-3 to 5 capable, launching AI-missiles with almost 100% Pk, may use long range DEW also. No need to remote fly them. They will fly & fight themselves, will be commanded from anywhere via satellite, AWACS, C4I, underground bunker, etc. It will be like playing chess, the pawns will be the UCAVs. Because of such high capability they won't be required in high numbers. But that's it. 7th gen could be the last, beyond that it would be all powerful DEWs, ground based mostly.

[@AlanStock-wt5tm]

I require ALL of my 6th gen fighters to be grain fed

[@RandomDeforge]

sounds kind of like how Windows 10 was going to be the last windows we'd ever need as it would continue to be upgradable. Until Windows 11 came about.

[@Jeff55369]

And then everyone who is paying attention saw how terrible win 11 is and decided never to use it. My next build will be on Linux.

[@Yuki_Ika7]

​@@Jeff55369the only thing preventing me from getting Linux on my next computer is that Linux has fewer games compatible with the software sadly

[@nunyabusiness863]

😂im old enough to remember they said something similar about windows 95, win 2000, nt, xp, 8.1, etc etc. Needs and desires of customers increase and change over time. Idk, creators keep limiting their imaginations by saying "aaaand...done." because an upgradable frame is, in time, an old, upgradable frame that isnt fit for the present and will need reimagining.

[@VikingTeddy]

Trying to predict the future is incredibly hard. We often don't have the words, or even a concept of what will come. Making absolute statements about what will or won't be around, is extremely ignorant, borderline arrogant even. I'll make my own ignorant claim, and say that this video will age like milk 😁

[@fraidofthedark]

Funny but misses the point. The article relates to the demise of the 'X Generation' nomenclature, not the future aircraft they relate to.

[@ianshaver8954]

If calling an aircraft 7th generation will help sell it to Congress, you better believe we will have 7th generation warplanes.

[@xodiaq]

Very diplomatic saying the SU-57 has the radar cross section of a “4th generation fighter” and not “the radar cross section of a doublewide” 😂

[@boxcutter0]

I think he actually said larger signature than many 4th generation.

[@peterweller8583]

Giggle smirk

[@FreedomIsNotFree2023]

He said that SU-57 cross-section is comparable to some 4th generation fighters.

[@xodiaq]

@@boxcutter0 and @FreedomIsNotFree2023 I should have rewound twice, I knew I mixed something up!

[@xodiaq]

@@FreedomIsNotFree2023 Edited!

[@Mreye45]

7th gen could be a space based fighter. I just think we should build the Galactica, Vipers, and a Raptor. Even without FTL, they'd be bad ass.

[@poowg2657]

So 8th gen has warp cores?😊

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

Probably can, Air Force has a Space plane it’s a drone

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

@@poowg2657 wormhole jumpers

[@Appletank8]

Just upgrade the B-52

[@briangriffiths114]

So say we all!

[@stevenschmidt]

Maybe we should designate an aircraft by the generation it was developed and went into service. In that respect, the F-22 and F-35 are "millenials", and their successors might be "Gen-Z". The F-16 and F-15 are Gen X. The F-4 Phantom is a Boomer, and the F-105 is in the Silent Generation, and the P-51 is in the Greatest Generation. ;)

[@Pympjuice2010]

💯💪🏾

[@no8592]

F35 is definetly Gen Z

[@jamescraig3598]

F-117 Nighthawk: am I a joke?

[@blurglide]

Not a fighter

[@bertg.6056]

@@blurglide The Nighthawk as no guns, no missiles, it's a bomber.

[@jaja9081]

@@bertg.6056 i think not even radar

[@Xenomorphine]

@@blurglide Neither is the B-21, but that's being called 'sixth generation'. It's more of a 'general warplane' distinction thing.

[@Yuki_Ika7]

​@@Xenomorphinea 6th gen bomber

[@nerdwatch1017]

I just had a fun idea of a cool fun video I’d definitely watch if you made Alex. Going through futuristic SYFY movie or shows like Stargate SG-1’s space plane the F-302 Battlestar Galacticas Viper MRK1-7 or even the awesome X-Wing from Star Wars. Of these 3 planes that can operate in both vacuum and atmospheric flight. How close in technology do you think we are from making our first space fighter planes like these amazing ships. Personally I think the F-302 is the one we’re close enough to build to fly in atmosphere but in regards to space flight there’s still 1 major hurdle we haven’t got to yet that I know of. That’s both a pair of engines that can fly both atmosphere and vacuum as well as a powerful enough fuel to make the plane fly!!!

[@coyotehater]

According to my sources, the SU-57 doesn’t have a radar cross section, it has a zip code…

[@cruise_missile8387]

It's all part of the plan "Huh what's that giant ass thing on the radar? Must be a Boeing 747. Good luck people!"

[@videorowtv5198]

Y'all believe all western propaganda lmao

[@TheCrashyBoi]

​@@cruise_missile8387it's as big as a Lancaster after all

[@robertneal4244]

Imagine a future conflict where a patrolling flight of aircraft detect an inbound threat, analyze it, download the info to a network that then uploads an upgrade to the aircraft...all in the same encounter. Crazy!!!

[@WillArtie]

Yes agreed - crazy! How about as you approach an encounter with a known and analysed group of enemy combatants/devices, Big Military Brain AI at base has already simmed the battle thousands of times in the last 10 minutes of closure before uploading best vectors/courses of action including any needed upgrades to you and your cohort. Or does your onboard AI have the chops to do this sort of thing?

[@ottovonnekpunch1268]

@@WillArtie Digging the concept of the "Big Military Brain AI" doing the "Game Theory calculations" 1000 times in a second, does a literal "shits its pants" moment and flashes a "Abandon All Stations" mere nano-seconds before a "total asset wipe-out" makes for a great Sci-Fi movie scene or action-packed written paragraph! Or a flipping IRL disaster because we placed too much reliance on automated systems! Sometimes, the very dangerous work of "forward deployments" pays big dividends in preventing unforeseen dangers!

[@WillArtie]

@ottovonnekpunch1268 yes I like it! Win probability stayed under 30% over 120,000 game iterations so run-away was the best option lol. And of course the opposition is desperately gaming the encounter as well. I guess if you could broadcast believeable signatures for "ghost" units you could fool the opposition into thinking your force was larger or more capable? Def sci-fi material this kind of thing for film or writing. Thanks Otto!

[@unclescar5616]

Perhaps, 7th gen fighters will be able to sortie into space and back

[@jukeseyable]

then it will be dogshit in a thing atmosphere. it is a totally different enviroment. past the Karman line aerodynamic surface alteration wont work, you need to use thrust, above the line then the aerdynamic surfaces wont work. And please dont be so stupid to say include both. as having both comes with a weight penalty that would reduce the performance in both enviroments

[@jaja9081]

@@jukeseyable still this is how it would be with 7th gen that go space too. splashed by A-A rocket over a distance of 3000 to 8000 to 12000 km, from 350 km high and mach 10+ (~3,5 km per second) impact. for info, you need mach 24+ (7,8 km/s) to be fast enogth to reach an loworbit without fallin down. a fight with lasers, will become dogfight.

[@jaja9081]

starship included

[@danjames-ud7nr]

⁠@@jaja90817th gen fighters won’t go to space. You also won’t be dogfighting in space with lasers.

[@jaja9081]

@@danjames-ud7nr i said: fights with laserguns will become dogfights that with little 🧠 also be total diffrend to today hobs and guns (dogfight). but if you say so... it will probably be the 6th gen and 7th/8th interplanetar like starship just in small and dirty

[@texoutlaw1732]

Now where have we heard “cheaper” before?

[@user-kl3lg7tf3n-anx1ous]

we'll likely never see a 7th gen fighter because after sixth gen fully autonomous drones take over from manned aircraft designs

[@andrewreynolds912]

It won't replace manned

[@andrewreynolds912]

It will replace it in some roles but will we be completely be done with manned? No

[@user-kl3lg7tf3n-anx1ous]

@@andrewreynolds912 it's already happening. B-21 Raider is "optionally manned" by design.

[@andrewreynolds912]

@user-kl3lg7tf3n-anx1ous it's not gonna replace it completely their are still advantages with manned aircraft that cannot be replicated with unmanned

[@drumngrewve]

Come on man....haven't you seen Star Wars....X-Wing fighters are going to be the next 7th gen.

[@Riv_Dyl97]

I think a "7th gen" would be a scramjet, something similar to the Dark Star on Top Gun that be able to do combat above the Karman line (100km) and drop precision bombs and Air to Air missiles

[@granatmof]

Anytime a metric is developed to try to get a handle on something abstract, the post-hoc metric starts to become the intended goal. A great example not in aerospace, but economics is GDP. it used to be a metric for hitrocial economic performance, but then governments started manipulating their numbers to achieve better GDP for marketing terms.

[@texasranger24]

The US Army just chose General Dynamics and Rheinmetall as finalists for the 4000 Bradley replacement IFVs. Could you do a Firepower series video about this program, the two finalists and the other three that dropped out. Or more generally the current state of IFVs (Bradley, CV90, Puma, Lynx) and their most likely future. Maybe even including anti air IFVs like some CV90 variants and SkyRanger.

[@raifsevrence]

The USAF: We vow every stealth bomber is 100% organic and gluten free The target: Oh good ! I'm allergic to glu...💣⤵👁👄👁

[@rogerwilco5918]

7th gen = x wing

[@teddy.d174]

🙌🏼

[@gwarne2304]

Or the delta flyer

[@jaja9081]

more the 18th gen

[@rogerwilco5918]

@gwarne2304 it's gotta have a warp drive to be 7th gen 🤪

[@korana6308]

@@jaja9081 by 18th gen it's gonna be a flying saucer.

[@johndoh5182]

The wish list for 6th gen is so comprehensive that anything above that would probably just be an upgrade to a 6th gen fighter.

[@jkil218]

Lockheed tic tac...15th generation

[@nathanielalaburgDelhi]

TR3B 20th gen

[@DefiantSix]

The only way to win is not to play...

[@TheBlackAndDeckerBootyWrecker]

@@DefiantSix Basically spread your cheeks and let the enemy in?

[@zmblion]

Hahahaha lol ya it darn sure isn't Boeings tic tac 😂😆

[@jkil218]

@zmblion nope....parts be flying off if it was.

[@teddy.d174]

Su-57 has the same RCS as F-18.

[@kinggooseman5373]

From the front yes, production models from other angles do have a better RCS

[@jamesgardner4126]

​@@kinggooseman5373From the rear though they have a huge radar and IR signature

[@kinggooseman5373]

@@jamesgardner4126 every aircraft from the rear has a huge IR and radar signature. That’s also a completely null point anyway, if the enemy is already behind you you’ve already lost and stealth is more than likely not providing any advantage anymore

[@korana6308]

I mean have you seen F18's? It's simply impossible to be less stealthy with a full internal munition storage compare to F18 wing mounted missiles. Come on.

[@kinggooseman5373]

@@korana6308 Its referring to a clean F-18 oh wise one

[@stephenlayland2889]

Before there was a concept of fighters by generation, there was the Century "Series". These aircraft were the stuff of the Air Force-led transition from piston to turbojet power. It was an odd assortment including three interceptors, two multi-role fighters, one legendarily tough ground attack bird and a very pretty mockup that may have flown in a wind tunnel. USAF had to spec a few large personnel transports before they could throw in a kitchen sink.

[@andrewwood4013]

Missiles and drones have made high priced aircraft impossible to protect in a meaningful way. Incursions on airbases occur weekly. Building a $500m makes no sense; it’s just a big target until we get to a point where we can defend against these threats. In the meantime, we should be focusing on the building blocks to produce exquisite craft: engines, radar, missiles, materials science, and avionics. We should have terrestrial and extraterrestrial craft. Using a “Century Series” approach makes a lot more sense. Additionally, there’s too many big ticket items on our plate: Sentinel, B-21, CCA, F-35, Columbia Class Subs. Finally, the navy is a mess and there’s a political vacuum in the government. 🤷‍♂️

[@jimsubtle886]

I like that you made it very clear that the take away from this video is that the new tech will never be in generational fighter jet evolution, but will be in tech that consists of drones that swarm the area and can adapt and assist, and help as needed on the battlefield.

[@The_Viking970]

I imagine a fighter with hypersonic speed and complete stealth with option to not just use their own internal weapons but able to use weapons available in the entire theater of war. Same time able to control dozens of ai powered drone. This fighter will protected by not just its own internal capabilities but asl by drone.

[@jak356]

You’re pretty much right on track. My lil bro is a fighter pilot.

[@dashhuber2901]

Me -The reason there won't be a 7th gen fighter is simple. Everyone knows that the melee's job is to get the squishy spellcasters to about level 5. Mid to late game is completely dominated by spell casting classes. Hybrid classes enjoy slightly longer longevity, but like the fighters before them they too fall off sharply at about 10. Steve- We're talking about jets. Me- I didn't stutter.

[@frankiebegbie]

A drone tanker (which I bet exists) would mean a forever swarm up there

[@SacredCowStockyards]

The F-35 is already a supercomputer with wings. I always thought the defining feature of 6th gen was gonna be a max-unstable flying wing design that leverages all this cutting edge tech to essentially perfect aircraft aerodynamics.

[@jakobneubert6801]

Bombers and fighters will merge into bombers, so fighterd will gradually become extinct, which will make it financially possible to make a new design every 10 years.

[@jancerny8109]

Forgive a naive question, but couldn't computer-controlled wingmen be directed from a station on the ground, or a carrier, with other wingmen functioning as relays for the signal? If you then give the wingmen aerial refueling abilities, the last American fighter jock may already have been born.

[@adamhodgson8851]

When I saw the title of this video I assumed the main reason that there would never be a 7th generation fighter was because the next major leap in technology would lead to all fighters being drones. The 6th generation fighter is already heading in that direction, so in my opinion by the 7th they will all be drones with AI controlled from far far away using satellites. 🤔 Thoughts?

[@patrickpercefull8278]

So, we're just talking about a IRL version of a teir 10 premium in World Of Tanks. Got it, pay to win. GG.

[@chuckg333]

I have three ideas as to why we wouldn’t have 7th generation fighter jets. 1. They will be replaced by a better propulsion system similar to the jump from propeller aircraft to jet engine aircraft. 2. They will no longer be needed because by the time they would come out, space warfare would be a possibility and spacecraft may be more important than a new fighter jet. 3. The world superpowers building these jets will start a war which will change so much about the world that the next generation will never get a chance to come. (These are all my personal ideas and I am aware there are many flaws with all of them. I just thought it would be interesting to think about it in other ways.)

[@tkmmkt6569]

Yes I agree that the only two things that could really put these fighters into a new generation would be either an entirely new revolutionary propulsion system, and space capability. Otherwise it feels like we are reaching the pinnacle of what improving aerodynamics and “stealth” can do.

[@Xenomorphine]

Those would still be a future generational shift, unless you're strictly going by a 'jet fighter' category.

[@cedriceric9730]

Yes current trends show that ww3 will be majorly in space , the next war after will be 100% in space And there will be manned " fighters" in space because war is too unpredictable for machines

[@rookiegameplay7519]

@@tkmmkt6569 Why go to space

[@MuppetsSh0w]

1. Faster engines are unnecessary and anything better would be a jet engine anyways as you need to expell matter backward if you want to accelerate forward. You watched too many scifi movies. 2. Space warfare in orbit will NEVER be a thing because of Kessler syndrome wrecking everything around earth and prohibiting humanity from getting there for centuries. If anyone dared to do that they'd just start nuclear war instead. Results will be the same, collapse of civilization. Again, too many scifi movies. 3. Agreed.

[@cthulholmhastur5317]

Kickass episode, Alex. Thanks brother.

[@dennisarzubiaga2833]

I say scrap the NGAD and go for a 7th generation fighter once artificial super intelligence is here in 2028. 💪🇺🇸👍

[@redneckurbantransplant5931]

The way the NGAD program is going, there will never be a 6th gen fighter.

[@Xenomorphine]

It would be more fair to point out there's a difference in generational designation, depending on whether someone's referring strictly to jet fighters or all fighters in general (my personal preference for a proper historical overview and to take account of inevitable future non-jet propulsion systems). The latter would be... 1: Biplanes and triplanes of WW1. 2: Monoplanes. 3: Jets. 4: Jets with guided air-to-air missiles and beyond. 5: Stealth with supercruise.

[@maxwellmuhia]

7th gen fighters can be like the ones in independence 2 movie where the jets can travel to space or lets say luna then return back to earth, for earth only fighters i can say 6th gen will be the last generation of fighters

[@discoverneweyes]

If cost are too high ask those SpaceX dudes??? ...rockets are turbine powered too.

[@erasmus_locke]

7th Gen will be nuclear powered. Boom. Debunked your whole video.

[@nerdwatch1017]

2:39 can someone please let me know what city are those planes flying over at 2:39?! I want to say Dubai?

[@PelenTan]

It's not the plane, it's the pilot. You briefly mentioned how the upgrades will happen while the pilot is asleep. Actually, the upgrade can happen while the pilot is flying. The technology they are using is Kubernetes in a Rancher package.

[@Overneed-Belkan-Witch]

7th Gen definitely will be Just a spaceship All Hail The Rocinante

[@edwardlloyd9468]

F-14s and F-15s with thrust vectoring, today's avionics, composite building materials and modern manufacturing. Stealth is overrated.

[@georgesikimeti2184]

It’s probably your understanding of stealth technology is not up to standard,simply lack of knowledge in the camouflage sphere.

[@33moneyball]

Everything will be so stand-off eventually that a stealth bomber AI drone type will replace fighters entirely. There’s simply zero reason to ever be close enough to require the maneuvering characteristics of a fighter. That will be the responsibility of missiles and much smaller unmanned attack drones.

[@tbe0116]

Stand off is hard when everything is stealth.

[@smackncheesey9784]

My 8th gen P-51 goes nyoom.😂😂😂

[@ARGONUAT]

Great job providing understanding and clarity to this topic. Your work is all substance with no fluff.

[@Jugement]

Why did I feel surprised this comment wasn't posted by an account with a pretty woman as a pfp and sus ink in bio 😂 This must be the most bott-y legit comment I've ever seen hahaha

[@Jugement]

Nevermind, their profile is inaccessible on mobile, so I guess they were 😂

[@ARGONUAT]

@@Jugement Not much bot in me. Just an old Strategic Air Command weather officer.

[@Jugement]

@@ARGONUAT Yeah man, i just tried on destop and it worked fine. I've no idea why, your profile cant be accessed on mobile, its weird lol I thought as much, but found it funny how your comment sounded very reminiscent of typical bot posts, aka generic compliments not directly refferencing the video haha. That said, i do agree with what you said

[@ARGONUAT]

@@Jugement Totally understandable. That’s basically my generic comment that I put in to simply feed the KZbin algorithm so Alex gets additional credit for the great work that he does. I’m usually a bit more specific as I worked with a lot of the very early generation stuff that has become the amazing toys of today’s military.

[@johndoh5182]

So, I don't know how I feel about open source code and I hope it means something totally different to the Air Force than how most people see it. They should have a test set of code, where a developer of hardware/software can test what they're doing in a platform, and maybe that platform even includes aircraft, but THEN I think the Air Force should have proprietary code where basically they replace the part of the code they provided for the developer to make a working system. Consider a command to shoot a missile. It has code to accomplish this where it takes all the inputs and makes a solution, and then fires when the operator tells the system to based on conditions being met for a firing solution. There's a lot of functionality there that a company doesn't have to worry about if the Air Force provides open source code for different functions, especially dealing with getting data from different sensors. But that doesn't have to be the code used in an operational fighter because it could be swapped out with secure code that very few people work with, NEVER to be able to access via the internet. So because a system dev didn't have to write code for different functionality since the Air Force provided it, it's easy for the Air Force to replace their open source functions with proprietary functions. THAT is how I HOPE the Air Force means open source. It's open source when being developed, but later turned into proprietary code.

[@ITube4RealFun]

My wife is one of those gullible people who would try to buy organic when she can. Good thing she doesn't control the purse.

[@kowalityjesus]

Glyphosate residue on food is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. That's the tip of the iceberg. Organic produce has fewer pesticides/herbicides, might be worth the cost for long term health.

[@AGT0M]

The only aircraft generation we need is the one that makes our adversaries always guessing what hit 'em.

[@blurglide]

Manned fighters are nearly dead. The closest we might see is an airborne drone control aircraft where operators can have line of sight communication to their drones to retask and give kill approval.

[@thekraken1173]

Until AI powered fighters become mainstream manned fighters are here to stay.

[@blurglide]

@@thekraken1173 You don't think that'll happen in the 15-20 years between 6th and 7th generation fighters? I think it'll happen in the next few years.

[@niweshlekhak9646]

@@blurglide USAF is said it will select the winner for NGAD in 2024 so it's not gonna wait for 10-15 years.

[@blurglide]

@@niweshlekhak9646 Huh? What are you saying...that you expect to see a 7th generation manned fighter?

[@niweshlekhak9646]

@@blurglide as long as there is Electronic Warfare, fighter jets will be manned. When a fighter gets jammed in AI mode you need pilot to handle it.

[@oNoxciouso]

Wouldn’t the F117 be considered the first 5th gen aircraft?

[@Hikaru109Ichijyo]

nice , can see them going in that direction . . . sounds like how Germany in WW2 took the Bf /Me 109, a pre war design and kept updating it so it was considered top of the line (prop wise) by the wars end.

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I’m a baby boomer that’s dumb to Next Generation will be L for lazy

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Your parents said the same

[@jimsackmanbusinesscoaching1344]

I thought the fundamental problem with NGAD is that if you can do some of the missions with the F-35 and wingmen and some with B-21 and wingmen, then what is the mission set that requires an NGAD?

[@heathwilliams9754]

It's meant to be an air superiority fighter. A true 'fighter' aircraft to threaten and conduct air to air combat or air interdiction missions. The F35 is a multi role fighter and air based combat multiplier. I still wouldn't take it over an F22 in a dog fight though. NGAD is meant to deter the enemy from putting any of their own aircraft in the sky and maintain your air superiority or, preferably, air supremacy.

[@hitmusicworldwide]

Looking cool

[@jimsackmanbusinesscoaching1344]

@@heathwilliams9754 Except dog fighting is dead right? Especially with a multi-seat drone controller like the NGAD. It is much bigger than an F-22 or F-35 from what we have seen so far. That means it will not be dog fighting but using missiles (probably Beyond Visible Range) to do its work in conjunction with its drone wingmen. At that point, I can see ISR missions and strike missions being B-21 controlled. Air Superiority missions being F-35 controlled. We already have a limited number of F-22s because the pure Air Superiority mission is just not that broad. Which leads to, why make this when the vast bulk of missions can be covered by F-35 and B-21. So, the question to me is why make a pure Air Superiority fighter when we would more likely need an F-35 replacement instead of an F-22 replacement.

[@alexcraig8543]

​@jimsackmanbusinesscoaching1344 I think a big reason is the need for something with more range for a possible conflict in the Pacific. Also, advancements in stealth design and coatings would make the NGAD significantly more stealthy and robust than what we have now, and would be a big plus in dealing with China's anti-access area-denial tactic. A tailless design with ceramic based RAM that is tough, low-maintenance, and able to withstand higher temps alone would be a big advantage over the f35 and f22, not to mention all the other high-tech goodies that have been floated like adaptive cycle engines.

[@EpistemicAnthony]

​@heathwilliams9754 no one said dogfighting. You are confusing all air-to-air combat with "dogfighting." There's more to A2A than just that, and yes, a plane can still specialize in those other areas.

[@markymarknj]

Alex, I was going to say that there will be no Gen 7 fighter because I believe that the NGAD will be the last manned fighter; I think that all fighters after that will be unmanned, AI platforms. Even now, the USAF is testing AI in an F-16, and that AI equipped F-16 is wiping the floor with manned fighters in exercises. Because AI doesn't have the same physical limitations of a human pilot, e.g. blacking out at 9 Gs, an AI controlled fighter can perform maneuvers that a human controlled fighter cannot. Also, with an unmanned fighter, there isn't the same infrastructure required for a human pilot; there's no seat, life support, or other systems adding weight to the aircraft.

[@LanceRulau]

Imagine a B-52 loaded with CCAs on a rotary launcher, orbiting the battle space, awaiting the F-35 to call in for a strike mission. B-21 Raiders are lurking nearby, in multiple payload configurations, perhaps armed with AIM-260s, while another Raider squadron performs a more traditional ground attack role. The F-35 could quarterback an entire mission without sacrificing stealth or payload. Add in the [likely] new stealth drop tanks and the adversary is in for a bad day. The Raider IMHO has the potential destroy the traditional aircraft designations such as "fighter" or "bomber". Rather, the B-21 and F-35 are essentially flying supercomputers.

[@kyloben8537]

I think we do have a somewhat concrete definition of the different generations of combat aircraft, at least in that we have a certain set of attributes that fit different generations. 1st gen: ww1 biplanes and monoplanes 2nd gen: ww2 era prop planes. 3rd gen: post ww1 jet aircraft up to around the vietnam era where we saw overlap with 4th gen 3.5 gen: an intermingling era between the early jet fighters that we saw directly after the second world war and the the later 4th generation. an example of what I view as a 3.5th gen aircraft is the F-4 phantom. 4th gen: more sophisticated combat aircraft where we saw more advances being made, F-14, F-15, MIG-29, Eurofighter typhoon. these are the most common aircraft we see, with a hard emphasis on versatility and adaptability, the "multi role" generation. 4.5 gen: intermingling between 4th and 5th gen aircraft with 4th gen platforms seeing upgrades to keep them up to modern standard (F-15EX for example) 5th gen: the stealth generation, the currently most advanced generation of aircraft with an emphasis on air superiority through stealth technology. 6th gen: multi system integration with a hard emphasis on compatibility with other platforms and systems, the "smart generation" it will also have an emphasis on multi role capability through modularity in design. the characteristics of this generation have been seen in limited ways with the F-35, honestly I would call the F-35 a 5.5 gen, as it is a 5th gen but shares aspects of future 6th gen aircraft. 6th gen will have a larger focus on the modularity, being able to be upgraded and outfitted however they are needed for a given assignment and communications seamlessly with other systems. I believe that as we see more and faster advancements, we won't have a good idea of what "generation" certain aircraft fall into, we will have to look back after the fact to see what eras saw what characteristics. we didn't know what 5th gen would entail before we got to it, and we did not know what 6th gen would entail until recently.

[@chuck.reichert83]

1st Gen. Propellor Driven, Wood, Cloth, and Cable construction. Think WW1 2nd Gen. Propeller Driven, Metal fuselage, Sometimes Wood or a combination of both, Streamlined Design. Think WW2 3rd Gen. Jet Propelled 4th Gen. Jet Propelled, Supersonic Capable, BVR Capable 5th Gen. Jet Propelled, Supersonic, BVR Capable. Supercruise preferred

[@田丸哲美]

Frank Kendall said that NGAD needs to have twice the operational radius of the F35 at the same cost as the F35. This is because China has developed ultra-long-range anti-aircraft missiles that can target tankers. The weapon bay can be the same size as the F35 because the CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) carries the missiles. The US Navy also needs a fighter with twice the operational radius of the FA18. Stealth is the lowest requirement for carrier-based aircraft because the weapon bay is difficult to install and remove missiles. The new design of GCAP meets the requirements of both the US Air Force and the US Navy.　The US Navy needs twin-engine aircraft. Let's work with Boeing to get the US Air Force and US Navy on board. Lockheed Martin could create a revised NGAD by enlarging the wings and fuel tanks of the F-35. Fighters would have to visually identify friendly targets with broken identification friend or foe systems before firing a missile. If missile launches were left to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), there would be no need for a weapons bay, reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[@blackhornetf]

"Future Headline" 16yr old hacks F35 OTA and once F35 hits Mach 1 the jet does 3 barrel rolls and starts playing Rick Ashley 😀😅

[@bricology]

Sorry, Alex, but I think you're mistaken on this one. We can't possibly predict what new tech is going to come along in say, a decade or more. In the 1930s, supersonic jet fighters would've been inconceivable. In the 1970s, stealth would've been equally inconceivable. Both were completely transformative tech. Well, we already know about 2 possible developments we could see in the next few decades: hypersonic flight and spaceflight-capable jet-rocket hybrids. What would you call either of those? "6th-gen plus"? Neither of them is possible using a modular system based on existing 5th-gen fighters; they would require clean sheet of paper designs. So it's silly to say "we're reaching the end of generational concepts".

[@bingo5694]

1:41 OK, now, talk about useless nomenclature. I was apparently WAY off on what gens implied. I thought that: gen 1 - ww1 biplanes, gen 2- ww2 metal monoplanes, gen 3- early Jet fighters, gen 4-radar/sensor equipped fighters, and 5- stealth/modern sensors/networked. Not ashamed to admit it. My way just makes more sense lol

[@ThatMetalheadMan]

I more fully support updating older planes too. I am a BIG fan of the F-15EX and would love to see it done to the F-16 and F/A-18E/F as well. The F-35 can cover the stealth angle,if needed and if they decide to update the F-22,all the better although I think the F-15EX is more than enough to cover the air superiority angle.

[@peterweller8583]

Rapid dragon swarm rocket truck area denial cloud semi maneuverable swarm of 17 miracles.

[@korana6308]

Can we all please just stop calling it an F/A18, it's so inconvenient just call it an F18. I do agree though with upgrading older planes... and at this point I don't really see the alternative... By the time NGAD releases it would cost 400 - 500 per mil. per plane... so I would much rather upgrade like 10 F15's with that money...

[@galvinstanley3235]

All the older planes that you mentioned are pretty much useless.The Rafale or an upgraded SU-35 are better then what an upgraded F-18 can ever do.

[@ThatMetalheadMan]

@@galvinstanley3235 hence why they need an overhaul. The EX is not old,its based on the F-15SA and would be very modern. I am just saying do the same thing to the others,although I can understand why it might not even be feasible.

[@ThatMetalheadMan]

@@korana6308 I very nearly did just say "F-18" but my OCD got in the way lol

[@DocWolph]

2088. Until 2088. Unless there is a MASSIVE stagnation in fighter craft technology, I can not see the F-35 going on after 2050. This especially with the US talking about their "Digital Century", churning out newer updated fighters ever few years, rather than decades.

[@hh9852]

We are certainly going to see going to see an incremental designation of some sort, for the most important reason of them all: This is the only way humans are able to manage and comprehend things. The same reason Windows 8 was said to be the last Windows, or why Intel insists on being on 7+++++++ nm nodes. Project management, business and politics more or less require these incremental designations in order to work properly. The concept of indicating something is newer, better or different is too much ingrained in the social psyche, the 6th generation wouldn't even make it to the runway if it's not labeled above 5. Without the labeling it would probably forever be stuck in congress indefinitely because politicians would be confused.

[@LackofFaithify]

NGAD in trouble...next video, ignore those things we have been talking about before, it's just marketing. Love it, we have such high costs in acquisitions because we never order in bulk. Now, oh no, ignore that, we will get you a continuous flow of new and up to date aircraft. You can just email us whatever you feel like you need on any given day, we will make that particular aircraft until you change your mind again then will start making the next new one. Oh it will be very practical and affordable. Hmm? I don't know, what are some tech buzzwords...Open, uhhh, CI/CD. It's all very open and as such you will have total control and not one of the only 2 contractors that can do what you are asking for continuously with never ending fee development. Totally new day. All digital just like F-35 block updates. I'm sure TR-3 will be ready to go any day now. Next year. We pinkie swear.

[@Absalon68]

. . . Me has suspicions the next really "New and Improved", (`What ever they'll call it.), won't have anything to do with any manor of internal combustion going on, and that it's already been in the testing phase for many decades. And me thinks you'll Never openly see or hear about it unless it's humanities "Last Resort". . . Mayhap they're intended for use against the "others"... And just maybe they're already out and doing what they were intended for, quietly. . . There's a whole lot of stories out and about that overlap themselves, and in referencing them to the 100,000,000,000 flys eating poop: Can it be, they're ALL wrong?

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

I have a hard time believing the USAF will still be flying the F-35 64 years from now regardless of how many lasers and doodads operated by AI's in quantum computers they have. Bombers, yeah maybe. Front line fighters? Not a chance. You can't use OTA updates for a new fuselage or more efficient engine design.

[@jakammor4449]

Lockeed/Boeing in 2041, “F122 fighter block 37 shares no parts with the original F122 automatically making it a 7 gen fighter…duh”

[@edl653]

I don't think the "generation" titles were ever really meant to designate capability but simply generation as to sequence in time. If the US 5th generation was better and had increased capability in comparison to country X, that is inconsequential. All that matters is that X country's next class of aircraft follows the previous generation. Don't take generation to mean "class" of aircraft. - BTW, I enjoyed Top Gun Maverick, but when they called the enemy aircraft "5th" generations, I thought that was really stupid. (Lots of mistakes in that movie, but very enjoyable.)

[@countvonthizzle9623]

"Leverage open systems software architecture." SuperTuxFighter? When penguins fly....

[@jvbutalid8316]

7th-gen fighters might either be space-capable or have expanded cyber warfare capabilities. I'm leaning on the latter. Cyber-chaff, cyber-missiles, what have you. Mind you, I'm speaking out of my ass and never had military experience (disclaimer).

[@arkadious9320]

There’s no way that F35s are still going to be flying until 2088.. I get that is prob an official number but it’s unrealistic. Technology is changing faster than ever compared to say the F15 in the 70s still flying upgraded versions today. Best best I would say is 2050 for the F35

[@dimitarvel1441]

Funny how the whole cold war the USSR was focused on functionality while the USA was focused on meeting criteria for the next generation and now the tables have turned - USA is focusing more on functionality while the Russians are trying to pack as many things in one airplane to be able to make it more marketable. To be quite honest, if the SU-57 minimized things such as payload and supermanuverability, they could have made the aircraft more stealthy, but if they do that then it has no edge over the F-22 and they can't sell it to China or India. Russia has become more capitalist than the US... Ironic.

[@warrenwattles8397]

Also, the "fighter" part of the 6th Gen designator is just the hub of a networked group of air vehicles, and it happens to have a biological meatsuit inside of it. Later 6th Gen will likely not have that element at all and it will be 95% autonomous with only 5% of the processing being done by a human via a data link. That's the logical next step for NGAD/F/A-XX.

[@carrolbrooks2143]

Wait till we get to the era of Modularly Rebuildable Sentient Craft, With on board 3D Printing and Nano Bot Progressive Wiring!?!! Literally, The Aircraft Will Be Growing And Maturing In Flight!!!

[@NuclearFalcon146]

I replied in a comment on the previous video about the USAF not making a decision on NGAD yet that what the NGAD may really be is an "F-35D".

[@blackhornetf]

The biggest problem with these 5th Gen fighter jets is cyber warfare.Sure its not like hacking a personal CP with Windows or Apple OS but anything that can be updated OTA and has a wireless internet connection could be vulnerable to a foreign military with a high tech cyber-warefare division with thousands of hackers and a massive budget. ( i would of thought updates would be done with special military hardware connections via hardware that doesn't have WIFI or Bluetooth etc )

[@arrjay2410]

The next generation of fighters might be craft capable of going directly to suborbital, or orbital height. I would hope by 2088 we would have civilian craft capable of single-stage-to-orbit flight. Logically the military, if it doesn't lead this, will follow suit. I would think that a 'fighter craft' (can't call it an aircraft anymore) would need new design and tactics for that sort of operation.

[@MuhammedAjmalAp]

7 th gen might be AGI controlled 2 state inter-medium fighter jets /drones (just like so many verified UFO sightings by high level naval /commander officers )😂😂😂😅

[@buddystewart2020]

It's kind of like Naval ships. In WWII, ship classes sort of made sense. Now days, Frigate, Destroyer, Cruiser, not so much. It's kind of like, you paid for it, you own it, you can call it whatever you want to.

[@XPLOSIVE2025]

Lil do we know they already have 10th generation spacecraft, I'm starting to believe "Tomorrowland" exist low key!!!!!

[@simontmn]

I think there's enough of a distinction between an F15 and an F22, or F16 and F35, to justify the generations terminology. I agree it's much less clear whether what is being designed now is meaningfully another generation, talk of 6th Gen does just seem to be marketing. Generations only tend to be visible in hindsight.

[@fire304]

I disagree, kind of. Generations have been assigned by historians and denote significant changes in aircraft design which change the very nature of air combat. Anyone who says "this is the first 6th Gen" is simply using marketing and does not get to define generational chance. Aviation historians will call the NGAD a 5th generation aircraft (a stealthy jet) unless it has transformative technology which forever changes air warfare. I do not believe the AI wingman will qualify, as even upgraded 3rd generation aircraft could exploit this new technology. As an example of what will qualify; if primary armament is directed energy and not kinetic or if it has a completely new engine technology that makes current kerosene burning jets obsolete, then that would mark a new generation of fighters. But those labels will be assigned by historians looking back, not salesmen looking forward.

[@Xelbiuj_1988]

"Modular . . . " Naa, those plans always fail. Purpose built will end up winning in the end. See, M series vehicles. Or the Navy's Littoral combat ships.

[@Jeff55369]

Or... maybe networking with ai drones isn't enough of a jump to designate a new generation of fighter. As you say the f35 can do it, and there's even some 4th gen fighters that can as well. Some tech that could validate a new designation: better stealth (to completely hide from detection on all frequencies,) cloaking / visual stealth (like from the predator movie,) 0 heat emission, anti-grav / reactionless drives (entirely scifi flying saucer style tech - and if it's something that's even possible, something we probably wont see for over a hundred years.) An AI capable of dogfighting entirely autonomously could potentially validate a new designation all on it's own, but that probably wont come to fruition until gen 7. I do kind of think there needs to be a split in the 6th gen for stealth and non stealth. It seems kind of lame to consider 4th gen style fighters using modern tech continually 4th gen. And maybe that's where the networking of ai drones could come in, something like the rafale could be considered 6th gen non-stealth, and the f35s 6th gen stealth. It does get a little weird, with how blurry the lines are.

[@Myungbean]

Of course there will be a 7th gen. We never know where the ladder of science will lead us and what innovations the next rung will bring. Thermo optic camouflage, hypersonic engines, RDEs, suborbital operating ceiling, high bandwidth latency free telepresence...who knows. We will *always* keep working on better ways to kill each other.

[@ronboe6325]

Generational labels; while problematic, are very useful when discussing different planes with folks that know nothing about them - but are tax payers. They want a simple answer to get them into the ballpark rather than just shrugging your shoulders and saying "it's complicated".

[@TimvanderLeeuw]

As modular as the latest US navy littoral combat ships? 😉 And regarding the software, ownership of the code doesn't mean you actually can find another team able to do the maintenance or integrate new modules from a different supplier. The learning curve might be so tough, that you'll end up coming back to the original supplier in the end anyway. Not to say that it cannot be pulled of, just highlighting two of the risks that immediately jump to my mind as a quick reality check.

[@julians7268]

Idk... im not liking what im hearing though. Its sounding a lot like they are taking their eyes off of air dominance capabilities if they dont follow through with NGAD. Im starting to get the same feelings I did when they canceled the Raptor order prematurely. They need to follow through on NGAD and the naval equivalent, then once that weapon system has the skies secure they can pick up on this new idea. The military is terrible with getting 80% to 100% of the way thru a project and then imagining a different way they could do things. Problem is it wastes time and leaves us with a hole in our capabilities. It wasnt a problem when we were fighting terrorists, but we will need to be prepared if war with Russia or China ever sadly becomes a reality.

[@Unknown-gi1uj]

Sounds to me that your so called 6th generation, is not 6th generation at all, just a bunch of cheap parts put together, rebranded and sold for excessive prices with the research and devlopment funding is pocketed and that aerospace company just provides you with what, an upgraded F16 and F15? Basically repainting 4th gen, ramping up the price, lowering cost and marketing at an entirely new generational of capability because they can then sell you upgrade packages because they couldn't release a finished product, or didn't want too.

[@lancegigs9022]

1st gen: biplanes 2nd gen: prop monoplanes 3rd gen: early jets 4th gen: jets with radars 5th gen: stealth jets 6th gen: stealth jets with hive mind that can control drone wingmen 7th gen: stealth jets that can escape terminal velocity and operate in low orbit 8th gen: can operate in both atmosphere and space in one flight 9th gen: nuclear powered 10th gen: light speed interplanetary travel If we survive WW3 anyways

[@Unknown-gi1uj]

ITS NOT ABOUT DESIGN! its about capability. Let me break it down, 1st generation is your jet engine, this offered a new capability in terms of fighter design. Speed created an untouchable aircraft compare to piston. 2nd generational was really about optimizing the aircraft with the jet engine, things like wing design really pushed the bounds of the engines creating an aircraft that was superiority in every way. 3rd generation is really where we see the deployment of missiles, the F4 phantom is a good example of this where they completely removed the gun of the pervious two generations and relying hugely on missiles. 4th generation is really a combination of all generations, attempting to create this complete fighter that could shoot and dodge missiles, that could dogfight with guns and win. 5th generation is where you move away from the conceptual fight and rely more on stealth and surprise, still pushing the bounds of 4th gen capabilities to new heights. What is 6th generation, cost cutting measure of no pilot and the sale of modules rather then planes with this concept of being disposable. your lolly ganging are your own inability to consider what a 6th generation fighter looks like, well to you it looks like money so yeah... Why spend that research and development money when you can just rebrand your upgraded 4th gen fighters and sell them at huge price points? AI doesn't offer that generational gap in capabilities, more so because the pilots are really no better then todays pilots and many would argue are 1million times worse when dealing with an unknown threat. Your just in marketing trying to sell a capability that you don't have, never will have and i would argue with diversity and covid19 attrition has alienated the defence companies from any and all levels of intelligence required to even design a 6th gen fight, let alone prototype it. Thing about competent people, there are always more job opportunities out there, the moment incompetent people demand authority over you, start demanding things like getting medically experiemnted on or forcing you to work with woman and blacks. Well you just walk away and find a job where you can thrive, rather then under pressure by a know nothing on a power trip. Culture matters and the socialists construct that is the military complex and its pathways into politics leave a sour taste in the private capitalistic society and the people who thrive within it. Fact is Americans want to strip their own militaries ability to wage war, NOT INCREASE IT! because they have turned into nothing but terrorists.

[@georgesikimeti2184]

A good design will always enhance capability via stealth or speed,these two terms are related in term of improvement not a weakness!

[@Unknown-gi1uj]

@@georgesikimeti2184 Why is the F35 called Fat Amy? and struggle against the F16 then?

[@georgesikimeti2184]

@@Unknown-gi1uj The f16 will be nullified without the f16 radar remotely aware of f35 presence,there’s stealth technology for you to learn from.When fat Amy can’t speed why not use the stealth to steer the end sign much quicker to the target!

[@georgesikimeti2184]

Are you an idiot?

[@Its-Just-Zip]

I see a lot of comments here about 7th gen fighters possibly having EXO atmospheric capabilities but I don't quite think we're going to do that with 7th gen. I think if we get a 7th gen they are going to be the kind of revolutionary change we saw between the transition from piston-powered aircraft to jet power. Currently in early stages of theory and prototyping are technologies that could enable a radical change in the deployment of aircraft. I'm specifically talking about power beaming and other forms of remote power delivery. It is physically possible to build a scramjet or even ramjet type engine that instead of using ignited kerosene to heat the air and provide thrust, it uses electrical energy to heat the air and provide thrust. I would honestly expect to see, maybe in the next 30 years, an aircraft that carries minimal fuel, but with the assistance of either a ground-based station or satellites and maybe both can fly non-stop from London to Shanghai the long way without aerial refueling. And I honestly think that will be available before an EXO atmospheric fighter craft. It will probably be first implemented in larger aircraft like cargo or bombers, but I don't see why it couldn't be done in a fighter sized package. I dont actually consider beamed power to be that big of a difference as to reset the generation count like we did between piston and jets. Beamed power engines work pretty simularly to fuel burning engines, its just the method of heating the air that changes. Airflow is still simular, thrust is still created by throwing the expanded and heated air out the back of a nozel.

[@ChickenNuggetWorshiper]

He said there are 5 fifth generation fighters, that would include the F22, the F35, the SU-57, and the J-20, although the latter two shouldn’t count. But what is the fifth? Or did he mean to say 4.

[@ricklotter]

No arguments about the "generation" classifications. Having worked in IT for a few decades, there is always a new system bus/architecture/etc. etc. It will trigger new capabilities and it will reflect the airframe it uses because it will need every edge and every inch to stay alive. It'll need more powerful generators or require more or less shielding... the physical will always reflect the capabilities and vice versa. The Next Big Stealth Thing will not be a code update, at least not every time.