USAF/US NAVY 6G Fighter Programs - F/A-XX, F-X, NGAD, PCA, ASFS news

LM
 

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BWAhAhaHaHaHAHAhaHAa!... ...So that's what the "Spacetime Modification Weapon" was all about. Enabling inter-dimensional military interventions into Alternate/Sci-Fi Universes, or either the artist commissioned at LM Art Dept has been playing too much EVE Online!:
Screenshot 2023-04-22 at 18-32-05 USAF_US NAVY 6G Fighter Programs - F_A-XX F-X NGAD PCA ASFS ...png
 

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bobbymike said:
Since I started following miltech in the early 80’s I would have to store on a separate hard drive all the papers, studies and reports that include “Does America Really Need X….”
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Are you willing to share that with all of us here? Or are some of the stuff too classified to share it? Just curious
 
La-Fuente Technologies said:
bobbymike said:
Since I started following miltech in the early 80’s I would have to store on a separate hard drive all the papers, studies and reports that include “Does America Really Need X….”
Click to expand...
Are you willing to share that with all of us here? Or are some of the stuff too classified to share it? Just curious
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He's saying there's a lot of, "Does America need weapon X" articles over the years. Usually written by someone who knows little about the subject looking to attract eyeballs. Sometimes written by a competitor or even just someone who thinks the US has too many weapons (wouldn't be at all surprised to see if some, if not many, of these articles were funded by the USSR/Russia/PRC).
 
sferrin said:
La-Fuente Technologies said:
bobbymike said:
Since I started following miltech in the early 80’s I would have to store on a separate hard drive all the papers, studies and reports that include “Does America Really Need X….”
Click to expand...
Are you willing to share that with all of us here? Or are some of the stuff too classified to share it? Just curious
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He's saying there's a lot of, "Does America need weapon X" articles over the years. Usually written by someone who knows little about the subject looking to attract eyeballs. Sometimes written by a competitor or even just someone who thinks the US has too many weapons (wouldn't be at all surprised to see if some, if not many, of these articles were funded by the USSR/Russia/PRC).
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Depends where such articles appeared and who wrote them. A lot of non-specialist journalists are just not going to have especially nuanced understanding of pros and cons for particular programs. And given the scale of the US defence budget/ spending a degree of scepticism from some quarters re: the expense of/ need for specific programs is both predictable and almost certainly healthier than the complete absence of such scepticism.

Otherwise more than a fair whiff of paranoia re: the comments above; this need for some to see people that disagree with them as having to be “reds-under-the-bed”. The same people who, ironically, are probably more willing than most to swallow wider/ more general “news” from some dubious sources as long as it tallies with their world view.
 
sferrin said:
Sometimes written by a competitor or even just someone who thinks the US has too many weapons (wouldn't be at all surprised to see if some, if not many, of these articles were funded by the USSR/Russia/PRC).
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Russia Today's interview with Pierre Sprey on the F-35 comes to mind. If I recall, it was that specific interview that fueled the hype of giving the F-35 negative press and the interview that launched a thousand negative F-35 articles.

Not that the F-35 itself had no problems (Of course, all programs had problems), but that most of what the articles made following that interview were mostly missing the mark or simply incorrect.
 
La-Fuente Technologies said:
sferrin said:
Sometimes written by a competitor or even just someone who thinks the US has too many weapons (wouldn't be at all surprised to see if some, if not many, of these articles were funded by the USSR/Russia/PRC).
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Russia Today's interview with Pierre Sprey on the F-35 comes to mind. If I recall, it was that specific interview that fueled the hype of giving the F-35 negative press and the interview that launched a thousand negative F-35 articles.

Not that the F-35 itself had no problems (Of course, all programs had problems), but that most of what the articles made following that interview were mostly missing the mark or simply incorrect.
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Nah, Sprey and his cronies did the same with the F-22 and F-15 before that.
 
sferrin said:
Nah, Sprey and his cronies did the same with the F-22 and F-15 before that.
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They actually did those too? And yet somehow it was the F-35 that got the bad press

Anyways, let's go back to Sixth-Generation Fighters before this goes too off-topic
 
Do we really need such bottom level tech journalism examples with those hackneyed flatulent headlines on the forum?
 

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Well, looks like we may have a name for the NGAD Engine after all

Sadly, the article is Subscription Required, so I can't get any more information from the article beyond that point

GE Names NGAD Engine The XA102 | Aviation Week Network

The XA102 is the designation for GE’s proposed propulsion system for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation, crewed fighter aircraft.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
 
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flateric said:
Do we really need such bottom level tech journalism examples with those hackneyed flatulent headlines on the forum?
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I dunno, I thought it was worth sharing

What are your standards on what veritable sources should be shared in here, just so that I'll be careful for the next time?
 
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GTX said:

Air Force Fleshing Out Key Component Of NGAD Program

Air Force Fleshing Out Key Component Of NGAD Program
www.nationaldefensemagazine.org www.nationaldefensemagazine.org
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“It doesn't mean though that this is an attritable type of platform, and that's been a common misconception,” he continued. “We're going to reuse these air vehicles, and the decision for risk and the risk that we will take with these types of capabilities will be at the mission command or at the combined forces air component commander level.”

Thank you for posting GTX.
This CCA roles & mission is going to be a complex, never resolved, problem shared w/OMFV and its RSV.

UCAVs went out of favor but the same old risk/cost issues will return as fast as heat.

Deciding exact roles & missions as tech changes or promises to change will be like writing a new constitution for South American country. We have seen how that has gone.

PS: that is why a cannon fighter able to fire numerous UAV/missile/round which each can fullfill a different role depending the setting on the rd still makes sense for a max standoff craft.
 
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Why they are "not supposed to do that"?
May be it worth to explore their site and portfolio?
 
flateric said:
Why they are "not supposed to do that"?
May be it worth to explore their site and portfolio?
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Could be that they're promoting development of the aircraft to a wider audience, but still, isn't the NGAD still a top secret project, and that hiring is usually done in secret for such a sensitive project? Who knows which person with bad intentions may decide to join such a company to possibly disrupt the program or worse, give information to the enemy? I can only hope that security for the NGAD program is sealed so tight that such incidents are not going to happen, ever. Especially since some of the US' top secret stuff can be easily leaked by hackers (Or an average person on the War Thunder Forums) nowadays.

Also, I did check their portfolio after I posted that, just to see for myself, and they do focus on systems development, meaning they make the computer and avionics systems for certain military technologies, so they are legit in what they do. They have a history of providing the systems for military technology, especially aerospace technologies, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt here, and say that they probably know what they're doing when they did that.

I just find it concerning that they're advertising a chance to work on the NGAD program like it's your usual job fair. Maybe that's just how I see such programs, but that kind of thing should have been a private kind of affair, not promoting it like this, as it helps improves security if less people join it and become a part of the development team. If I recall, that kinda one of the principles of worker numbers at Skunk Works, as the less people are involved, the more likely that the program will not be leaked out, and thus the more secure it will be overall

And yeah, someone might say that "Isn't it just the same as news about NGAD being shared online from time to time? Don't both promote the NGAD publicly?", I would say yes to that, but the former is news on the NGAD, and it's needed for transparency's sake, but this one is like an invitation, and it's bound to bring in various types of people who have the skills required. The problem would be if said persons have the desire to actually follow the information protocols and keep their involvement in the program top secret, and instead, find various ways to share some detailed information out to the public. That would be a cause for security concerns if found out, and undermine the program security of not just the NGAD, but every other classified projects involved, and I for one, don't want that to happen to the NGAD.
 
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There are quite a few companies hiring right now whose ads specifically mention NGAD work (just check Indeed) -- SMA, Quest, CAE, etc.

It's not uncommon or very concerning, really. Opportunities to work on cutting edge projects are one way that companies attract top-notch technical talent. And NGAD has progressed to the point that the work cannot be done be small Skunkworks-style black team, which is why it is coming out of the black into at least the grey world.

So it makes sense for companies to advertise that they have NGAD-related openings if they want to attract candidates.

Project security is always difficult as programs get larger, but it's frankly just a risk that has to be taken. Obviously, it should be mitigated where possible through clearances and background investigations, putting specific aspects of the program into smaller compartments, etc. But the simple fact is that big programs are always going to entail these sorts of risks, especially in a free society where people can't just be assigned to specific jobs and can make their own choices about where and what to work on.
 
EXB Solutions is competing with SpaceX, Tesla, LM, NASA, NG, and Boeing for engineers.

If you didn't get hired by one of those (and yes, even if they won't acknowledge appling, they all applied.) you're looking for reasons to pursue others. NGAD is a promise of the latest technologies. It would be illogical not to advertise the program. It's another bite at the apple.
 
TomS said:
There are quite a few companies hiring right now whose ads specifically mention NGAD work (just check Indeed) -- SMA, Quest, CAE, etc.

It's not uncommon or very concerning, really. Opportunities to work on cutting edge projects are one way that companies attract top-notch technical talent. And NGAD has progressed to the point that the work cannot be done be small Skunkworks-style black team, which is why it is coming out of the black into at least the grey world.

So it makes sense for companies to advertise that they have NGAD-related openings if they want to attract candidates.

Project security is always difficult as programs get larger, but it's frankly just a risk that has to be taken. Obviously, it should be mitigated where possible through clearances and background investigations, putting specific aspects of the program into smaller compartments, etc. But the simple fact is that big programs are always going to entail these sorts of risks, especially in a free society where people can't just be assigned to specific jobs and can make their own choices about where and what to work on.
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My company told me I was interviewing for a civilian aviation position. Then I reported in on my first day into another world and another job I wasn't expecting. No explanation offered and none asked for. I quietly did somersaults in my mind when I found out i wasn't working on passenger planes.
 
rooster said:
My company told me I was interviewing for a civilian aviation position. Then I reported in on my first day into another world and another job I wasn't expecting. No explanation offered and none asked for. I quietly did somersaults in my mind when I found out i wasn't working on passenger planes.
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I can see that for recruiting into certain very specific types of black projects. But there's quite a risk there as well, especially today. Some people might not want to work on a military project. Others who might be interested might not be suitable, pending a background investigation. And they have to twiddle their thumbs while the investigation is ongoing (which can take a year for a proper Top Secret clearance)
 
La-Fuente Technologies said:
flateric said:
Why they are "not supposed to do that"?
May be it worth to explore their site and portfolio?
Click to expand...
Could be that they're promoting development of the aircraft to a wider audience, but still, isn't the NGAD still a top secret project, and that hiring is usually done in secret for such a sensitive project? Who knows which person with bad intentions may decide to join such a company to possibly disrupt the program or worse, give information to the enemy?
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Seems you have to learn more what top secret projects really are and how people get job clearance. NGAD is not 'top secret' project.
I just find it concerning that they're advertising a chance to work on the NGAD program like it's your usual job fair.
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OMG! Just look here!*


www.northropgrumman.com

Engineering Careers – Make Something Incredible | Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman engineers have been at the forefront of innovation for generations, creating and improving systems that Define Possible undersea, on land, in the sky and in the far reaches of outer space.
www.northropgrumman.com www.northropgrumman.com

*bonus - LM NGAD poster
 

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flateric said:
Seems you have to learn more what top secret projects really are and how people get job clearance. NGAD is not 'top secret' project.
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I suppose I do. But even if what you say about NGAD is true, it's still too wrapped up in layers of secrecy, so I still think it's a secret project, if not necessarily top secret, that's for sure.
 
Since Northrop Grumman, already has the contract for building the new B-21, i doubt they will participate on the NGAD program, but this is just my opinion.
 
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rooster said:
Well I can tell you they had the debate on maneuvering and decided maneuvering its still important. Not raptor league but its still important.
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Where did you get this information? I'm just curious.
 
pedrospe said:
Since Northrop Grumman, already has the contract for building the new B-21, i doubt they will participate on the NGAD program, but this is just my opinion.
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I made a comment some time ago regarding this topic, Northrop may be slated more for "non-fighter type advanced programs". Northrop can develop one hell of a 6th gen fighter (YF-23 is proof enough). The NGAD fighter area could be: USAF 6th Gen - Lockheed, USN 6th Gen - Boeing. If Boeing keeps screwing up, then Northrop would probably wind up doing the USN 6th Gen. I think Northrop is being slated by the USG for advanced subsonic and supersonic/supercruising strike and ISR platforms, hence being the flying wing company. Also, have to throw in the unmanned aspects of NGAD for all three primes, let the games begin!
 
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Remember NGAD is a family of systems concept, the primary manned fighter may go to one entity but there's plenty of room for competition for the loyal wingmen. An arms race with drone warfare may see the manned combat platform be phased out before it even becomes mass produced if things get more competitive in the future.

On a side note, are they still planning to go with a digital century series or was that Roper dreamware?
 

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