Two thoughts come to mind on this topic: 1. What does the future of fighter jets look like when compared with innovations in unmanned aircraft vehicles and drones? 2. Similarly, is the pilot a point of resistance to this technology? Faster models and more maneuverable engineering may be more successful on paper than in practice given the high skill level required by pilots to make the most out of this tech. Very cool topic!
1. The future of fighter jets is likely to include a combination of manned and unmanned aircraft. Unmanned vehicles have many advantages over manned aircraft, including increased endurance, reduced risk to pilots, and the ability to operate in environments that are too dangerous for human pilots. However, there are also some limitations to unmanned vehicles, such as their reliance on communication links and the fact that they lack the situational awareness of human pilots. Therefore, it is likely that future fighter jets will incorporate the best of both worlds, with unmanned vehicles playing a complementary role to manned aircraft. 2. The pilot is certainly a point of resistance to this technology. Fighter pilots are highly trained and skilled individuals who have spent years honing their craft. They take great pride in their ability to fly and fight in high-performance aircraft, and they are understandably hesitant to cede control to an autonomous system. However, it is important to remember that technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and the capabilities of unmanned systems are rapidly improving. As these systems become more capable, it may become more difficult for human pilots to match their performance. Therefore, it is likely that we will see a gradual shift towards greater reliance on unmanned systems in the coming years.
Innovation technology in the military is a great way to see how countries are pushing the limits of what’s possible in todays world. Very cool to see how this is advancing- wondering if you watched the new Top Gun movie as research?
I wonder if hypersonic fighters completely replace current gen fighters the way that jets replaced propeller planes? What excites me the most is the gradual civilian diffusion of these technologies from purely military applications. I doubt we will see hypersonic passenger planes any time soon, but I bet many of the material sciences and breakthroughs in these machines could be used for even better efficiency improvements in the civilian sector.
I'm curious to know the difference in efficiency and speed between standard jets and hypersonic jets as even regular 'airplanes' are quite precise in their dimensional requirements to increase their efficiency.
