Why We Need Nth-gen Aircraft.
Advances in processing power, networking, automation, and analysis are redefining how competitors combine effects for advantage and reduce costs. Multi-domain operations combine different weapons and activities against threats, but it’s their combined effects that determine relative advantage in any context.
In the air and space domains, fifth, sixth, and next-generation (nth-gen) aircraft contribute unique tactics, operations, and strategies for highly contested combat environments. They provide asymmetric advantages, but this requires changes in how we acquire, update, and organize-train-equip. Why? Because we have to do those better than our pacing competitors, or lose.
Consider fifth-generation capabilities in different domains and threat environments.
Definitions, Concepts, and Focus
Nth-generation capabilities in any domain must achieve competitive advantages compared to previous capabilities. A partial list of fifth generation capabilities in the air, space, land, and cyber domains includes the following:
- Air: low observable (stealth), situational awareness, integrated avionics, speed, and agility
- Space: situational awareness, persistence, and precision
- Land: hybrid warfare and multi-domain operations (intelligence, information, cyber, electronic warfare, and space)
- Cyber: cloud and mobile security
- Maritime—survivable networks, stealth (submarine)
Operations are systems of inputs, changes, and outputs. A basic system consists of inputs, changes, outputs, and feedback that informs inputs. Once we assign meaning to data, it becomes information. Information put into context becomes intelligence, and intelligence that’s accepted becomes knowledge. Operations should be strategic processes that convert means and ways into ends. Strategic in this sense is not a bureaucratic level, or a certain range or type of payload. It’s an ends-ways-means process.
Multi-domain operations are strategic systems across contexts considered to be domains, such as air, space, cyber, surface (land and maritime), subsurface, electro-magnetic, and cognitive.
The focus here is on asymmetric competitive advantage in air domain kill chains. Asymmetric is a relationship in which strengths interact with weakness. The asymmetry usually is in different types or quantities of technology, whatever the level. Competitive advantage assumes that any pursuit of relative gain is contested. A kill-chain is a type of effects-chain that’s lethal: “…a process to find, fix, track, target, and engage targets, then determine strike results…Kill chains are systems of systems that consist of sensors, strike platforms, the weapons they deliver, and the networks they use to share information.”
Comparing Capabilities and Effects
Comparing combinations of different military capabilities and their resultant combined effects reveals important asymmetric competitive advantages.
Consider three fifth-generation examples: fused awareness, air-to-air lethality, and penetrating strike.
First, F-35 multi-role aircraft can find optimal sensor-striker pairings in highly contested airspace due to its stealth, sensors, electronics, and communications. That means pushing information to other platforms to match the best available shooters with multiple targets in dynamic threat environments. As the diagram below illustrates, it’s the combination of sensing, effects, and connectivity that provides a strong advantage against targeted systems that lack those attributes.
FUSED AWARENESS: F-35 LIGHTNING
source: https://www.f-16.net/forum/download/file.php?id=36990&sid=af6f0de0184141e0520a34ea65565baf&mode=view
Second, F-22 air superiority fighter can clear the airspace for earlier-gen aircraft in highly contested environments due to its stealth, sensors, avionics, speed, and physical agility. The fighter’s high speed and maneuverability are optimized for one purpose: kill enemy aircraft.
AIR-TO-AIR LETHALITY: F-22 RAPTOR
Source: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-m&hl=en-US&q=F-22+agility+and+speed&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi32IrXyK__AhW4lmoFHQsCDCgQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=1366&bih=904&dpr=2#imgrc=UM0_oT3Bg_rQVM
Third, B-21 bomber can carry a variety of high payload munitions for highly accurate, affordable, and repeatable stand-in attacks against surface targets. In one configuration, the bomber can destroy 80 targets on what would otherwise be a “no-go” mission for any other aircraft.
PENETRATING STRIKE: B-21 RAIDER
Source: https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/2682973/b-21-raider/
The combined effects of employing these three weapon systems enable more vulnerable elements of the Joint Force to survive to fight in highly contested battlespace.
Without nth-generation fused awareness, air-to-air lethality, and penetrating airstrike, the following weapons systems are not survivable as “stand-in” forces: aircraft carriers, amphibious landing craft, and land-based artillery. They must “stand-off,” out of enemy air and missile range.
Land-based F-35 aircraft can find optimal sensor-striker pairing with lower attrition than non-stealth aircraft and with higher sorties rates than carrier-based “organic” aircraft. The F-22 can clear airspace for earlier-generation fighters and any aircraft. The B-21 can destroy 80 targets on an otherwise a no-go mission due to high threats.
Overall, the advantage of survivable kill-chain networks gives operators and decision-makers competitive options to fight and win.
To pull this off, we must reform acquisition, sustainment, and organize-train-equip (includes recruit and retain) to set the pace of modernization, not lag a competitor’s pace.
We have done this before with stealth (U-2, SR-71, F-117, B-2) and finally, after admitting the civilian sector was ahead of the government, with encrypted enclaves (Intel Corp.-driven software guard extension).
Now we must stay ahead with Defense Innovation Unit-accelerated technologies (hypersonics, synthetic fuel, space internet), Air Force Research Labs-accelerated technologies (layered/multi-spectral sensing, directed energy lasers/electromagnetics, advanced munitions, energy conversion/propulsion).
Nth-gen capabilities and effects are essential for multi-domain operations that produce synergistic Joint Force combined effects. The National Defense Strategy (NDS) priorities (homeland defense, deter nuclear attack, deter and defeat, build resilience) calls for fifth-generation capabilities and capacity. The Joint Force needs an nth gen Air Force to integrate dominant air and space capabilities for superior combined effects.
The challenge is integrating nth-gen capabilities into multi-domain operations design, planning, and wargaming so the Joint Force can survive and thrive in highly contested battlespace.
