Reference News website reported on May 17 that according to a report from the Hong Kong South China Morning Post website on May 14, as the competition for future air dominance with China intensifies, the United States has disclosed more details of its sixth-generation fighter jet, including its expected range. On May 13, David Allwine, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, shared an infographic on social media, revealing the latest details of the F-47 fighter and its unmanned "collaborative combat aircraft" (CCA). The development of these two aircraft is part of the U.S. "Next Generation Air Dominance" program. Meanwhile, China continues to advance its sixth-generation fighter program. According to the infographic revealed by Allwine, the combat radius of the F-47 will exceed 1,000 nautical miles (approximately 1,852 kilometers), far surpassing the combat radius of the F-22 "Raptor" fighter it will replace (590 nautical miles). Allwine also pointed out on social media that the combat radius of the two配套 collaborative combat aircraft YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A will exceed 700 nautical miles. These two drones have already begun static testing last week. From the statements of defense experts and the U.S. Air Force, the F-47 and its collaborative combat aircraft are of great significance for operations in the entire Indo-Pacific region. The infographic released by Allwine shows that the stealth capability of the F-47 will reach "stealth++", surpassing that of the F-22 ("stealth+") and F-35A ("stealth"). This indicates that the new aircraft's full radar band stealth capability will be enhanced, and its infrared signature will be significantly reduced. The advanced capabilities of the F-47, especially its greater range and enhanced stealth capabilities, aim to counter China's advanced anti-access/area-denial capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. Samuel Paparone, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, once warned that China's ability to develop advanced fighter jets is surpassing that of the United States and may prevent the United States from gaining air dominance within the first island chain. The U.S. Air Force stated that the design goal of the F-47 is to fly farther than the previous generation of fighters, with a combat radius 70% greater than that of the F-22. The enhanced range and stealth capabilities of this aircraft will enable the U.S. military to launch operations from safer bases further away from conflict zones. According to Allwine, the flight speed of the F-47 is expected to exceed Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound. Allwine also confirmed that the U.S. Air Force plans to purchase more than 185 F-47 fighters, starting to replace the F-22 in the 2030s. The U.S. Air Force will equip these F-47 fighters with over 1,000 collaborative combat aircraft. He also stated that the F-47 and the two collaborative combat aircraft will have operational capabilities between 2025 and 2029. Although progress has been made in the U.S. "Next Generation Air Dominance" program, due to the initial estimated single-unit cost reaching around $300 million, the program was once subject to review and suspended last summer to undergo a strategic reassessment. (Compiled/Mao Ziyuan) Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7505280230026789391/ Statement: This article only represents the author's personal views. Welcome to express your attitude by clicking the "upvote/downvote" button below.