Leading strategy advisors to international energy companies, governments and financial institutions More
IHS provides technical standards, codes & specifications plus the tools to manage critical data More
IHS helps companies meet their EHS&S goals with the most deployed enterprise software solution More
IHS covers global industry & economic insight and analysis to advance client business decisions More
The US Air Force (USAF) is already considering what its next generation of fighter aircraft will look like and one possibility is a new stealthy, unmanned fighter jet, according to USAF Chief of Staff General Michael Moseley.
Talking to Jane's on 16 October, Gen Moseley said that he has asked officials at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force/Acquisition to review requirements for a "sixth-generation" fighter.
One possibility might be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) treated with special laminates to increase stealth.
Gen Moseley said some critics have accused the USAF of a half-hearted commitment to UAVs but he said the fact that he would consider an unmanned fighter proves those critics are wrong.
Defence analyst Steve Zaloga agreed, saying all evidence indicates the USAF is fully committed to the unmanned mission. The service spends more money on unmanned systems than the other services put together, he said.
However, Zaloga cautioned that he finds it difficult to envision the USAF developing an unmanned fighter jet because of the technical hurdles involved.
"There is no integrated sensor that can make the kind of judgments a pilot has to do in the air-to-air environment," Zaloga said. 202 of 610 words
To change the font size, press Ctrl and (- or +)
To change the font size, Ctrl + (- or +)
If that didn’t work, try the following:
ODS-Petrodata has a new web presence following our acquisition by IHS. Our look has changed, but the quality our information and insight remains the same. Our addition to IHS gives you access to a larger array of world-class information and analysis.
Enjoy your visit, and please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding our new online presence. To log in to your ODS-Petrodata account, click on the Customer Login link found at the top of every page.
Please review the privacy policy and terms of use for our new website.
United States
Share | 
