In the first article, we considered the possibility of countering aircraft equipped with laser weapons using the tactics of massive launches of air-to-air (V-V) long and medium-range missiles in order to oversaturate the capabilities of laser weapons and interceptors to repel a strike. We also learned that pilots should try to dodge close air combat with an aircraft equipped with laser weapons. However, with an increase in the power of laser weapons, this scenario of warfare may turn out to be ineffective, which will require a rethinking of the appearance of combat aircraft in order to gain air superiority.
What impact will the serial introduction of laser weapons have on the appearance of combat aircraft? One of the stated requirements for the sixth generation aircraft is optional piloting, that is, the ability to operate the aircraft with or without a pilot. The possibility of creating artificial intelligence capable of making complex decisions in battle raises much more questions than the prospects for creating laser weapons, rail guns and hypersonic aircraft combined, but as for the cockpit, it is likely to undergo dramatic changes.
1. Cockpit
The presence of a laser weapon at the enemy will require the pilot to be hidden inside the aircraft body, without the use of transparent structures. Piloting will be carried out using transparent armor technology
With the implementation of this technology, there should not be any problems, given that in fact it is already used on the F-35 family fighters and, apparently, will be actively developed in the future. In addition to the United States, work on the creation of "transparent armor" is being carried out in the UK, Israel, Russia and other countries.
2. Means of reconnaissance and guidance
Due to the lack of a transparent cockpit and the high probability of hitting optical reconnaissance equipment with laser weapons, they will need to be repeatedly backed up, spaced to different points of the hull and providing protection in the form of high-speed curtains that instantly close when hit by laser radiation, or other methods of physical protection of sensitive optical elements
The basis of reconnaissance means by 2050 is likely to be a radio-optical phased array antenna (ROFAR). The details of all the capabilities of this technology are not yet known, but it is possible that the potentially emergence of ROFAR will put an end to all existing technologies for reducing the signature. If there are difficulties with ROFAR, then advanced models of radar stations with active phased antenna arrays (radar with AFAR) will be used on promising aircraft.
3. Placement of weapons
The need to achieve cruising supersonic speed, reduce visibility and protect weapons from being hit by laser weapons will require their placement in the internal compartments
Modern aircraft are exceptionally dense. This negatively affects the convenience of their subsequent modernization and limits the ammunition load. This is especially noticeable in the example of fighters made with internal weapons bays. At the other end of the "scale" you can put the American B-52 bomber, which has been successfully modernized for more than half a century due to the excessive strength and volume of the structure, and will most likely significantly outlast its super-expensive, inconspicuous counterparts. In a situation with laser weapons, an ultra-dense layout can become an additional source of problems, which will require an increase in the size of a promising combat aircraft.
4. Anti-laser protection
Contrary to the opinion that it is possible to protect yourself from laser radiation with an ordinary "silver", to protect against powerful radiation, you will need to use a special casing, which includes several layers
For example, it can be an outer layer with high thermal conductivity, capable of "smearing" the thermal effect of the laser on the body, while retaining its properties under high-temperature heating, and an inner layer that provides thermal insulation of the internal volumes.
It should be borne in mind that such a coating must be resistant to many years of operation in various climatic conditions, withstand overloads arising in flight, cyclic thermal and vibration loads. The creation of such a protection is a complex scientific and technical task that will be actualized as the power of laser weapons grows. It can be assumed that its thickness will be on the order of or more than a centimeter, which, taking into account the size of the aircraft and the need to mount it, will add mass to the entire airframe structure.
5. Laser weapons
Based on the rate of development of the aircraft, it can be assumed that, depending on the size of the aircraft, by 2050, 1-2 lasers with a power of 300-500 kW can be installed on it, with the possibility of outputting radiation in the lower and upper plane of the aircraft, which will make it possible to implement an almost circular the affected area
Most likely, these will be infrared fiber lasers, with combined power from several emitters. The implementation of guidance will include aiming with the pilot's gaze and automated algorithms for selecting vulnerable points of the target.
6. Sources of electricity for laser weapons and other onboard systems
The supply of lasers with electric power will most likely be provided by the removal of energy from the shafts of rotation of gas turbine engines
By itself, the technology of diverting part of the power is implemented in the F-35B vertical takeoff and landing fighter to ensure the operation of the lifting fan. As mentioned in the previous article, it is according to this scheme that a variant of the F-35 with laser weapons can be built. Reducing the range and carrying capacity in this case is compensated by the exceptional capabilities provided by the presence of laser weapons on board.
As part of the ASuMED program in Germany, a prototype of a fully superconducting synchronous aircraft engine has been created, with a capacity of 1 megawatt with a power density of 20 kilowatts per kilogram. Taking into account the reversibility of synchronous electric machines, on the basis of this technology, compact electric generators can be created to power laser weapons with minimal dimensions and high efficiency.
7. Weight and dimensions
The need to install laser weapons, power generators for them, the presence of large weapons bays and a massive anti-laser coating will lead to an increase in the size and takeoff weight of promising combat aircraft
In general, one cannot fail to notice the current trend of increasing the size and mass of combat aircraft. For example, the mass of the F-35 is one and a half times the mass of its predecessor, the F-16, a similar situation exists with the F-15 and F-22 fighters. It can be assumed that the takeoff weight of a promising multifunctional fighter in 2050 could be from 50 to 100 tons, which is comparable to that of the Tu-128 patrolling interceptor, the unrealized project of the MiG-7.01 multifunctional long-range interceptor or the Tu-22M3 missile-carrying bomber. An increase in the mass and size of promising combat aircraft will lead to a decrease in their maneuverability. However, taking into account the presence of laser weapons and highly maneuverable anti-missiles, the own maneuverability of promising combat aircraft will no longer be of significant importance.
8. Engines
It is highly probable that the promising aircraft will be twin-engine. The total thrust of the engines must ensure flight at supersonic speed without the use of afterburner
In the power take-off mode for powering laser weapons, the flight characteristics of the aircraft will decrease. By 2050, it is possible that technical problems will be resolved and pulsating air-jet engines (PUVRD) or rotary detonation engines will begin to be installed on aircraft. It is possible that on some types of promising aircraft engines it will not be possible to implement direct power take-off for powering laser weapons, which will require the installation of a separate generator with a compact gas turbine engine for this purpose.
From time to time, there is information about the implementation on the sixth generation aircraft of the possibility of flight at hypersonic speed. Of course, at the turn of 2050, hypersonic aircraft can be implemented, but at present all projects of promising bombers are executed in a subsonic version, not all countries manage to implement even a stable cruising flight of fighter aircraft at supersonic speed, and all projects of hypersonic aircraft are plagued by significant technical difficulties. Thus, while hypersonic aircraft have not been properly developed even in the form of disposable missiles and warheads, it is difficult to talk about hypersonic flight speed for promising manned combat aircraft.
9. Aerodynamic scheme
The layout of a promising combat aircraft will be optimized based on the need to install anti-laser protection and maintain a high cruising supersonic speed. If, at the turn of 2050, successes are achieved in the creation of hypersonic aircraft, then this will be the determining factor in choosing the layout of the aircraft.
Based on the existing trends, we can assume the rejection of the vertical tail, the absence of the front horizontal tail (PGO). At the moment, this is primarily associated with the implementation of stealth technologies, but in the future, the defining factor may be protection from thermal loads arising from high flight speeds and irradiation with laser weapons.
10. Armament
Like the armament of warships, the armament of promising aircraft systems will include defensive and offensive systems. Hypersonic V-V missiles equipped with anti-laser protection will be used as offensive weapons to defeat enemy aircraft at long and medium ranges. If it is not possible to protect the missile's radar from the damaging factors of laser radiation, then the missile will be guided by the carrier via a protected radio channel or along a "laser path".
Small-sized highly maneuverable anti-missiles will be used as defensive weapons. They can also be used in close air combat against enemy aircraft. In a similar way, laser weapons will be used - as a priority to defeat attacking enemy missiles, or to destroy enemy aircraft at close range.
At the turn of 2050, the question may arise of equipping aviation complexes with another type of weapon based on new physical principles - a rail gun (RP). At the moment, rail guns are considered as an element of the armament of surface ships. Initially, it was planned that they would be armed with the latest American destroyers of the Zumwalt type, but the technical difficulties that arose postponed the introduction of this weapon. Nevertheless, tests of rail guns are being actively carried out in many countries of the world, including the United States, Turkey and China. In June 2019, the EMRG rail gun, which is being developed in the interests of the US Navy, was successfully tested. In the near future, it is planned to conduct tests directly on the ships of the US Navy.
Unlike ships that require a large caliber of 155 mm and a firing range of about 400-500 kilometers, on combat aircraft the caliber of a rail gun can be significantly reduced and amount to about 30-40 mm. Shooting should be carried out with projectiles guided by the "laser trail" technology at a distance of about 100-200 km. Such a weapon will make it possible to hit enemy aircraft protected by laser weapons, since the high speed and small size of the projectile of the rail gun will make it difficult to detect and destroy it. The presence of a control system in the projectile for the RP is not due to the need to defeat highly maneuverable targets, but to the need to compensate for the deviation of the RP axis during firing, to compensate for atmospheric conditions and the possibility of changing the target's course within about 5-15 degrees.
The rail gun can be placed along the axis of the aircraft to obtain the maximum length of the accelerating section of the barrel. A separate question arises about the energy storage devices for such weapons, since even the power of the 1-2 MW generators providing power to the laser weapon will most likely be insufficient to power the rail gun. It is necessary to understand that a rail gun is technologically more complex, even in comparison with a laser weapon. If the appearance of the RP on ships is practically beyond doubt, then its adaptation for aircraft carriers can be quite difficult.
Near future
Speaking about combat aircraft of the future, one cannot fail to mention two promising projects. First of all, this is the promising American strategic bomber B-21 Raider. Its predecessor, the B-2 bomber, which is being developed in absolute secrecy, brought the effective dispersion area (EPR) record low for such a huge machine to the aviation world. It is possible that the B-21, which is being developed to replace it, will also contain some breakthrough solutions. For example, it can be equipped with defensive laser weapons and the ability to destroy enemy aircraft using a powerful airborne radar with AFAR and long-range V-V missiles. If these capabilities are realized, the B-21 Raider will conceptually be close to the appearance of the promising combat aircraft discussed in this article (defensive LO, large ammunition load).
In Russia, the development of the ideological successor to the MiG-31 - a promising long-range intercept aircraft complex (PAK DP) - is periodically discussed. The non-existent machine on the Internet was named the MiG-41. At the moment, the appearance of the PAK DP has not been finally formed. It is assumed that it will be a heavy machine with a flight speed of over 3500 km / h and a flight range of about 7000 km. According to other sources, the maximum speed can be 4-4.5 M, that is, 5000-5500 km / h. It is quite possible that, taking into account the projected timing of the development of the PAK DP - 2025-2030, its design will take into account the potential threats posed by laser weapons deployed on enemy aircraft.
conclusions
Predicting the appearance of a combat aviation complex for such a long time is rather difficult. Is it possible in 1920 to reliably predict the appearance of the MiG-15 or MiG-17 based on the appearance of wooden biplanes? What are jet engines, radars, guided weapons? Only a screw, a machine gun, binoculars! Or predict in 1945 the appearance of the MiG-25 / F-15 machines that appeared after about 30 years?
The complexity of forecasting is associated both with the high technical risks that accompany the development of fundamentally new technologies, such as a laser weapon, a rail gun or a detonation engine, and with the unpredictable appearance of completely new technologies that can radically change the appearance of promising aviation systems.
The assumed appearance of the 2050 combat aviation complex was formed based on the extrapolation of the capabilities of existing technologies that are currently at the initial stage of their development.
The factor that largely determines the appearance of the promising aviation complex of 2050 is the development of laser weapons. The logical chain in the formation of the appearance of a promising aviation complex is approximately the following:
- the appearance of 100-300 kW lasers on existing fifth-generation fighters, in combination with small-sized anti-missile missiles of the CUDA type (2025-2035);
- training and / or real air battles of aircraft equipped with aircraft;
- the inevitability of BVB as a consequence of the small ammunition stock of the fifth generation aircraft in combination with the effective interception of V-V LO missiles and anti-missiles;
- high probability of mutual defeat of aircraft of the LO in the BVB;
- the need to shelter the pilot in a closed cockpit and redundancy of sensors;
- the need for anti-laser protection of aircraft and weapons;
- the need to increase ammunition;
- growth in the size and weight of the aircraft.
As in any confrontation between "sword and shield", the appearance of promising combat aircraft will be determined by the advanced development of either laser weapons, or means of protection against them. In the event that the capabilities of laser weapons will outstrip the capabilities of means of protection against them (coatings, plating), the appearance of promising combat aircraft will shift to that discussed in this article. In the opposite version, the appearance of promising combat aircraft will be closer to existing concepts of relatively compact and maneuverable aircraft.
