Latest news with #sixthGenerationFighter
South China Morning Post
22-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
South Korea set to join global race to develop sixth-generation fighters
South Korea is set to become the latest country to develop a sixth-generation fighter, according to a senior aerospace executive. Advertisement Shin Dong-hak, vice-president of international business development at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), said in an interview at the Paris Air Show that the technology it was showcasing at the event – including 4.5-generation fighters and unmanned aerial vehicles – would 'ultimately' become 'key elements' of the switch to sixth-generation fighters. The country is joining a global race where footage recently released on social media suggests China may have started testing its sixth-generation prototypes Meanwhile, in the United States, US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the US will go ahead with its sixth-generation fighter programme by awarding Boeing the contract to develop the planes. Last week at the event – the world's largest and oldest air show – KAI's display included the KF-21 Boramae, its latest 4.5-generation fighter jet, FA-50 light combat aircraft and next-generation unmanned combat aircraft. Advertisement These aircraft were each accompanied by multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), suggesting it was working on crewed-uncrewed teaming – a key element of new-generation aerial warfare in which drones operate alongside piloted planes to increase their operational range and serve as a defensive shield.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
US shares sixth-generation fighter details, intensifying China air rivalry
The US has unveiled more details about its sixth-generation fighters, intensifying its competition with China for air superiority in future warfare. General David Allvin, the US Air Force chief of staff, shared an infographic on social media on Tuesday that revealed fresh details of the F-47 fighter jet and its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drones, which are being developed under the country's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme. These developments come as China continues to advance its own sixth-generation fighter programme, with prototypes of the Chengdu J-36 and Shenyang J-50 regularly appearing in public test flights since late last year. However, Beijing has not yet confirmed the aircraft seen in test flights as being its next-generation fighters. The F-47 will have a combat radius of over 1,000 nautical miles (1,852km or 1,151 miles), significantly surpassing the roughly 590-nautical-mile range of the F-22 Raptor it aims to replace, according to the infographic. The post added that the accompanying CCA drones, the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, would have a combat radius of over 700 nautical miles. The drones started ground tests last week. The F-47 and CCA drones are expected to be critical for operations across the Indo-Pacific region, according to defence experts and previous US Air Force statements.
