(Luft) Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD)

[Schneemann]

How NGAD Will Sense, Communicate, And Jam Could Be Revolutionary

NGAD’s potential use of multi-function arrays that combine radar, communications, and electronic warfare functions could be a game changer.

The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy's race to develop and eventually deploy 6th generation manned tactical jets, as well as unmanned combat aircraft to go with them, has quickly risen to the top of the priority lists for both services. These aircraft will be packed with cutting-edge technologies and features. While tailless, extremely stealthy, and highly efficient airframes with long-range and large payload capacity are commonly discussed when speculating about these still secretive crewed designs, one element that doesn't get much interest but is arguably just as important, has to do with how they will sense, communicate, and jam. This is a huge and complex topic for both service's next-generation air combat (NGAD) initiatives, but one development, in particular — packing all that functionality into single, increasingly powerful, and scalable arrays — has big implications. [...]

Active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs) have many advantages. Without a need to mechanically scan rapidly in different directions, especially while under heavy g forces and battering turbulence, they lack all the moving parts of their predecessors, making them far more reliable, and in some instances, more compact and lighter. They can scan huge volumes of airspace and large areas of the planet's surface extremely fast. Tracking many targets simultaneously with high reliability is also a core feature. In addition, they provide better range, higher resolution over that range, enhanced performance against low-observable (stealthy) targets, can be harder to detect, and are less susceptible to certain types of electronic warfare attacks and countermeasures. [...]

Many of the newest aerial AESA-based systems, as well as those used in other applications, such as advanced electronic warfare systems on Navy surface combatants, have the stated ability to support all three capabilities, for instance. The fact that these arrays are becoming smaller, lighter, and more powerful, as well as cheaper in some instances, only makes their use as multi-function emitters all that much more attractive. This is true for use in sea, ground, and space domains, but it's especially true when it comes to extrapolating their potential into an emerging Next Generation Air Dominance air combat ecosystem.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ho...olutionary

Schneemann