Exposure of the sixth-generation fighter: laser pointer weapons become a key direction. Recently, a new artistic concept map of the sixth-generation fighter was released. The more powerful weapons and sensor systems of the sixth-generation fighter will generate greater heat, and thermal management will become a key factor in the success of the project. This sixth-generation aircraft will replace hundreds of Lockheed Martin F-22 and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
The sixth-generation fighter concept is a stealth flying-wing fighter, and it is equipped with laser weapons to deal with multiple aerial targets at the same time. But at present, even the best high-power lasers are only 32-33% efficient, which means that 2 megawatts of heat are emitted for every 1 megawatt of laser beam.
The concept shows a tailless flying wing fighter, and promises to have the maneuverability, speed and stealth capabilities required by the sixth-generation aircraft. Northrop Grumman proposed this 6th-generation laser cannon equipped with revolutionary thermal management technology to win the U.S. Air Force’s FX program and the U.S. Navy’s FA-XX program. Said that the company has accumulated many very unique technologies from the B-2 project, which will be a big win when combined with thermal management.
The United States made a major breakthrough in the research and development of the sixth-generation aircraft green laser pointer weapon. The US Air Force Research Laboratory announced that the “Self-Protection High Energy Laser Demonstration Verifier” led by the laboratory successfully shot down several air-to-air missiles in flight during the test at the end of April, marking a milestone in the demonstration of this type of high-energy laser. At the same time, it also indicates that the three major arms giants Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, which contracted this type of laser weapon, will soon transfer the laser weapon system from demonstration and verification to the practical deployment stage, and the sixth-generation aircraft under development will also This laser weapon will be equipped.
The U.S. Air Force’s laser weapon system development is divided into two stages. The first stage is the “Self-Protection High Energy Laser Demonstration Verifier” project led by the U.S. Air Force Laboratory. This stage is mainly to demonstrate and verify the operability of the laser weapon system. The system has practical value.