Fifth Generation Fighter Jets

[asad71]

I’m fully aware of the ominous significance of the new generation of fighter jets in development around the world, but that doesn’t take away anything from the gargantuan technological and engineering feats they represent. Fifth-generation fighters are designed to incorporate features such as all-aspect stealth, high performance airframes and advanced avionics features. Here are 10 of the world's best fifth-generation fighter jets (some are in service, while others are still at the design stage):

Mitsubishi ATD-X

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Country of Origin: Japan

Nickname: Shinshin

The ATD-X is actually an experimental aircraft, which was created to determine the viability of creating an indigenous fifth-generation fighter using home-grown Japanese technology. The prototype aircraft was flight-ready in 2015, however the production-ready fighter that is to evolve out of it is not expected to be completed until mid-2020s.

Sukhoi PAK FA

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Country of Origin: Russia

So far, five PAK FA prototype fighter jets have been produced, with the first one taking to the skies in October 2010. The first production-ready aircraft was delivered to the Russian Air Force at the beginning of 2017, and it will enter service in 2018. It is also slated for export to other countries once production commences.

Sukhoi-HAL FGFA

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Country of Origin: Russia/India

The FGFA, or Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft, is currently in joint development by Sukhoi of Russia and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited of India. This fighter is a derivative of the Sukhoi PAK FA, which we have already taken a look at above. Both single-seat and two-seat versions of this fighter will eventually be produced. The T-50 prototype Sukhoi, on which this plane will be based, is pictured.

HAL AMCA

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Country of Origin: India

The AMCA, or Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, is currently being developed for use in the Indian Air Force. It’s currently in the design stage, however a prototype is expected to be airborne by 2018. If all goes well, the homegrown Indian fighter will be put into service in 2023 or 2024.

Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor

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Country of Origin: USA

This was the world’s first fifth-generation fighter jet, and it is the only aircraft on this list that is currently operational. It first flew almost 20 years ago – in 1997, and went into production in 2005. The production run has now ended due to the imminent arrival of the F-35 Lightning II, however the F-22 will play a key role in the US Air Force for many years to come.

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Chengdu J-20

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Country of Origin: China

Nickname: Black Eagle

A J-20 prototype first flew back in 2011. It’s believed that there are currently eight prototype and three pre-production versions of the aircraft in existence. The jet made its public debut in November 2016, and once mass production is underway, it is expected that the People’s Liberation Army Air Force will receive about 700 of the fighter jets by 2035.

KAI KF-X

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Country of Origin: South Korea

The KF-X is yet another indigenous fighter jet, with this one hailing from South Korea and with support from Indonesia. Although the project was announced all the way back in 2001, the fighter is not expected to be introduced until 2025. The South Korean Air Force will get 120 of these jets if all goes well, with the Indonesian Air Force receiving a further 80.

Shenyang J-31

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Country of Origin: China

Nicknames: Gyrfalcon, Falcon Hawk, Snowy Owl

The J-31, which is also referred to as the F-60, is one of two fifth-generation fighters being developed in China. There’s currently one prototype being used as a test-bed, and it first flew in October 2012. The fighter is expected to be put into active service in 2018 or 2019.



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TAI TFX

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Country of Origin: Turkey

Turkey has traditionally bought military hardware from other countries, namely the United States (its primary fighter jet is the American supplied F-16), however the country has taken it upon itself to develop an indigenous fifth-generation fighter. The Turkish Air Force aims to start TFX production in 2025, but the whole project might be canceled in the coming years for a variety of reasons.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

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Country of Origin: USA

This fighter is the result of the most expensive defense program in history, and it has been plagued with problems ever since the program started in 2006. Nevertheless, 162 F-35s have been built to date, in three different variations. The fighter is in active service, and was used to replace many of the USA Air Force and Marine Corp’s existing aircrafts.

Source: wonderslist / Babamail

 

[Hassan Guy]

dammit we aint on the list

 

[Village life]

dammit we aint on the list

Koi bat nai FC31 apna he samjho,and its is

 

[R Wing]

Some jets on here aren't, strictly speaking, 5th gen...

 

[Arsalan]

Some jets on here aren't, strictly speaking, 5th gen...

For example?
Which of the above mentioned jets you think do not fall under the category of 5th generation planes?

 

[R Wing]

For example?
Which of the above mentioned jets you think do not fall under the category of 5th generation planes?

I'm not an expert --- and I hope some aviation experts on the forum can chime in --- but the J-31 seems to fit more of a 4.5th-gen role with avionics that may not be able to compete directly with current 5th-gen offerings like the F-22 Raptor.

 

[Gomig-21]

Gotta hand it to the Chinese for coming up with not one, but 2 designs to compete in the 5th gen playground, while Russia is still working on its primary aircraft. It's easy to criticize, but aside from testimony from US simulations of the F-22 and F-35, we can't really make any determinations on the stealthy effectiveness of either Chinese birds or the PAK-FA. The other programs are still in their infancy stage.

The few things that will make any 5th gen fighter competitive is first and foremost, stealth. The design of the shape with smooth surfaces and lack of 90 degree angles and extensive composite material understanding and technology and ability to produce and assemble without catastrophic stress failures. Metallurgy and integration of different materials from the frame to rivetless paneling structures etc. Ram technology to add to the build to give it the lowest possible RCS. Understanding sawtooth seams and where to apply them.

Electronics: You need to develop the best radar, something not many have been able to do without failure. You need advanced avionics otherwise stealth is irrelevant if you don't have the avionics to do something about that advantage. With advanced avionics, you need the ability to process more information in a much faster way than your opponent and be able to share it in real time with your team. That sharing also needs to be complemented with the best jamming of the opponent's systems so that even if there is a chance of detecting you, you can lock them out or confuse them. All this information needs to be processed to the pilot in a very easy way to understand so that he is not overwhelmed, hence the cockpit fusion technology which the F-35 supposedly excels at. Other 4+ gen fighters have excellent fusion tech as well such as the French Rafale but lack in stealth. Methods of sharing information from AWACS and other information control platforms and combining that information into a single group is essential in 5th generation requirements and the ability to win any engagement.

Other physical characteristics that at least the USAF made as requirements were supercruise; the ability to travel at mach speed without the use of afterburners to be feul efficient. This allows for deep, interdiction missions without running out of fuel over enemy territory or the need to refueling as often. A very difficult requirement that without superior, fighter engine building savvy and knowledge is supremely difficult to achieve. So far, the only ones able to build engines with supercruise are the Americana (Pratt & Whitney). Engine building ability and reliability is probably the most difficult thing to accomplish. This has been a known fact for a very long time and why only a small, handful of countries have the ability to build reliable, failure free (for the most part) engines.

The F-22 has infrared reducing nozzles but the F-35 doesn't, but the F-35's missions are more standoff at greater distances than the F-22's interdiction so infrared signature is not a big requirement.

Just as important as all of the above is having the weapons systems that can perform very well and at very long distances and at dogfight ranges as well. The latter is important to have as the scenario can present itself in combat. Weapons that have been proven to be effective in those regimes are essential to have, otherwise the platform is absolutely useless, no matter how good it is.

With all that in mind, it's difficult to evaluate how good the PAK-FA is, or the J-20 or the FC-31. The others that are still on paper are even more of a question mark. But you can look at some of the simple, physical requirements and start with that.

So there are a lot of very difficult requirements to meet up with the 2 best that are currently out there and active and proven.

- Stealthy features
- Composite materials knowledge/manufacturing & implementing successfully
- lack of 90 degree body shapes/joints/connections (successful R&D research, testing and design)
- RAM technology
- Engine technology and indigenous history of development & building know-how (most difficult of all)
- Supercruise ability
- Radar/Avionics/computer software and level of accomplishment
- Fusion cockpit and information gathering/sharing
- Jamming abilities
- Related platforms with AWACS abilities to share info in real time
- Weapons systems (having the best weapons in AA & AG)
- Simulation results that prove success

 

[DavidSling]

Gotta hand it to the Chinese for coming up with not one, but 2 designs to compete in the 5th gen playground, while Russia is still working on its primary aircraft. It's easy to criticize, but aside from testimony from US simulations of the F-22 and F-35, we can't really make any determinations on the stealthy effectiveness of either Chinese birds or the PAK-FA. The other programs are still in their infancy stage.

The few things that will make any 5th gen fighter competitive is first and foremost, stealth. The design of the shape with smooth surfaces and lack of 90 degree angles and extensive composite material understanding and technology and ability to produce and assemble without catastrophic stress failures. Metallurgy and integration of different materials from the frame to rivetless paneling structures etc. Ram technology to add to the build to give it the lowest possible RCS. Understanding sawtooth seams and where to apply them.

Electronics: You need to develop the best radar, something not many have been able to do without failure. You need advanced avionics otherwise stealth is irrelevant if you don't have the avionics to do something about that advantage. With advanced avionics, you need the ability to process more information in a much faster way than your opponent and be able to share it in real time with your team. That sharing also needs to be complemented with the best jamming of the opponent's systems so that even if there is a chance of detecting you, you can lock them out or confuse them. All this information needs to be processed to the pilot in a very easy way to understand so that he is not overwhelmed, hence the cockpit fusion technology which the F-35 supposedly excels at. Other 4+ gen fighters have excellent fusion tech as well such as the French Rafale but lack in stealth. Methods of sharing information from AWACS and other information control platforms and combining that information into a single group is essential in 5th generation requirements and the ability to win any engagement.

Other physical characteristics that at least the USAF made as requirements were supercruise; the ability to travel at mach speed without the use of afterburners to be feul efficient. This allows for deep, interdiction missions without running out of fuel over enemy territory or the need to refueling as often. A very difficult requirement that without superior, fighter engine building savvy and knowledge is supremely difficult to achieve. So far, the only ones able to build engines with supercruise are the Americana (Pratt & Whitney). Engine building ability and reliability is probably the most difficult thing to accomplish. This has been a known fact for a very long time and why only a small, handful of countries have the ability to build reliable, failure free (for the most part) engines.

The F-22 has infrared reducing nozzles but the F-35 doesn't, but the F-35's missions are more standoff at greater distances than the F-22's interdiction so infrared signature is not a big requirement.

Just as important as all of the above is having the weapons systems that can perform very well and at very long distances and at dogfight ranges as well. The latter is important to have as the scenario can present itself in combat. Weapons that have been proven to be effective in those regimes are essential to have, otherwise the platform is absolutely useless, no matter how good it is.

With all that in mind, it's difficult to evaluate how good the PAK-FA is, or the J-20 or the FC-31. The others that are still on paper are even more of a question mark. But you can look at some of the simple, physical requirements and start with that.

So there are a lot of very difficult requirements to meet up with the 2 best that are currently out there and active and proven.

- Stealthy features
- Composite materials knowledge/manufacturing & implementing successfully
- lack of 90 degree body shapes/joints/connections (successful R&D research, testing and design)
- RAM technology
- Engine technology and indigenous history of development & building know-how (most difficult of all)
- Supercruise ability
- Radar/Avionics/computer software and level of accomplishment
- Fusion cockpit and information gathering/sharing
- Jamming abilities
- Related platforms with AWACS abilities to share info in real time
- Weapons systems (having the best weapons in AA & AG)
- Simulation results that prove success

* cyber capabilities

 

[Gomig-21]

* cyber capabilities

True, but wouldn't that be classified under the broader term of "jamming" abilities?
I probably missed a few others, not to mention the highly classified information that none of us "forum goers" know anything about lol!

 

[DavidSling]

True, but wouldn't that be classified under the broader term of "jamming" abilities?
I probably missed a few others, not to mention the highly classified information that none of us "forum goers" know anything about lol!

Jamming is something of old, while it can be classified under jamming, there are few new features under it.

5) AN/ASQ-239 “Barracuda”. While most aircraft carry crutch Electronic Warfare(EW) systems, the F-35’s was designed from the outset for integration, able to operate not just with other components within the aircraft such as the APG-81, it can operate with other F-35’s over MADL to perform EW operations together. The AN/ASQ-239 is an evolution of the F-22’s AN/ALR-94 which is described as the most complex and costly avionics piece on the F-22, the Barracuda has twice the reliability and is a quarter the cost of the ALR-94, as well as being able to reduce the 30 sensors on the F-22 to 10 sensors, it has demonstrated the ability to detect and jam the F-22’s radar. It’s able to precisely geo-locate emission locations hundreds of kilometers away, further then it’s radar can see and from there the APG-81 can be slaved to that data track and then detect and track the object with a very narrow beam, increasing power and detection on target while decreasing detection by other aircraft. At close range or against targets using Jammers it is capable of narrowband interleaved search and track(NBILST) against aircraft which provides precise range and velocity that can then be used by a missile without need of the APG-81, allowing 360 degree targeting of aircraft. The Barracuda can refer to it’s data-banks of known emissions and identify the source vehicle or store it for future classification. Other features are false target generation and range-gate stealing, offensive EW is possible, a towed RF decoy is also a part of the package as is MJU-68/B Flares, the counter measure dispenser’s can be seen from behind. The F-35 will also feature “cyber attack” capability.

 

[Gomig-21]

Jamming is something of old, while it can be classified under jamming, there are few new features under it.

Old but still very relevant in today's and even future combat of almost any form.

If you're talking about cyber capabilities, as in bringing down a whole network and shutting it down, then yes. But that might be a little outside the scope of the basic requirement of having or building a viable and worthy 5th generation fighter. Now you're in the realm of cyber warfare which is really not part of the platform itself, but rather the much larger computer hacking, warfare picture that involves other entities than the aircraft itself.

 

[DavidSling]

Old but still very relevant in today's and even future combat of almost any form.

If you're talking about cyber capabilities, as in bringing down a whole network and shutting it down, then yes. But that might be a little outside the scope of the basic requirement of having or building a viable and worthy 5th generation fighter. Now you're in the realm of cyber warfare which is really not part of the platform itself, but rather the much larger computer hacking, warfare picture that involves other entities than the aircraft itself.

You're mistaking, Cyber is the name of the game, and could be described as the "nuke of the 21 century".
Like the Smartphone, fighter jet isn't just a fighter jet anymore, it's a network tool, fighting in the physical and the cyber dimensions

 

[Gomig-21]

You're mistaking, Cyber is the name of the game, and could be described as the "nuke of the 21 century".
Like the Smartphone, fighter jet isn't just a fighter jet anymore, it's a network tool, fighting in the physical and the cyber dimensions

That's fine, it still falls under jamming abilities to simplify things. It's just the advancement of the electronic warfare features within the cockpit's avionics. But something to keep in mind, with all of this information gathering and processing and electronic warfare while flying an aircraft and dealing with all the other components of the mission, it will eventually create information and task overload to the point where there can only be so much a pilot can do in a single 5th gen aircraft, then the need to separate those duties among several aircraft. There's only so much a pilot can do with so much tech that information overload might be counter productive. This kind of thing might work when the task is divided between several aircraft and not all in one. The EA-18G is a prime example of that separation of mission specific, task oriented platform.

 

[DavidSling]

That's fine, it still falls under jamming abilities to simplify things. It's just the advancement of the electronic warfare features within the cockpit's avionics. But something to keep in mind, with all of this information gathering and processing and electronic warfare while flying an aircraft and dealing with all the other components of the mission, it will eventually create information and task overload to the point where there can only be so much a pilot can do in a single 5th gen aircraft, then the need to separate those duties among several aircraft. There's only so much a pilot can do with so much tech that information overload might be counter productive. This kind of thing might work when the task is divided between several aircraft and not all in one. The EA-18G is a prime example of that separation of mission specific, task oriented platform.

that's where ai comes in

 

[Gomig-21]

that's where ai comes in

Why would you need a pilot, then? Once you get into real artificial intelligence, you will most certainly negate the pilot's usefulness and then you might as well invest strictly in UAV technology. You will easily reduce cost by going that way, while at the same time increase effectiveness, create inexpensive decoys to your heart's content, and not put too many pilots, or even any for that matter, at risk, and still win the battle from the comfort of your home.