AFRL's conceptual sixth generation fighter. Screenshot/US Air Force
Daniel Brown, Business Insider: We asked a military aviation expert what the US' future sixth-generation fighter jet might look like
* A military aviation expert told Business Insider what a sixth generation fighter might look like, after the US Air Force Research Laboratory released a video teasing the future aircraft.
* Richard Aboulafia, a military aviation expert at the Teal Group, said that he expects it to be more about the accompanying systems — the weapons, outboard sensors, drones, etc. — than the air vehicle.
* He also said that while he's not in favor of an unmanned system or high energy lasers, the two capabilities are certainly possible.
The US Air Force Research Laboratory released a video in late March showing what a sixth-generation fighter jet might be like, as part of a push to plug its Science and Technology 2030 initiative.
The video shows a conceptual sixth-generation fighter jet, known as the F-X, firing what appears to be a high-energy laser that cuts another fighter in half.
It's still unclear what capabilities a sixth-generation fighter would have. Some have speculated it could have travel at hypersonic speeds, be able to switch between a manned and an unmanned aircraft, and more.
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WNU Editor: Here is a prediction .... the final design will not be what we are seeing today.