Interesting airframe in A2AD offset strategy brief

Hi all,
Came across this JOAC brief with some interesting figures. The entire doc is fascinating but what I though might interest you all is the ISR asset depicted here with the switchblade like surfaces. It appears a few times in the doc and looks peculiarly like something rumored to be around at the moment.



[right click and select open as new tab to see larger copy]

a reply to: aholic

Do you have a link that we can take a look at? I'm not seeing one above.

a reply to: Sammamishman

It's the "penetrating ISR" plane on the right. It has these backwards looking wings. Just right click and "view image" or "open image in new tab"...

Maybe this one?

Northrop Grumman RQ-180

www.defensereview.com... o-the-light/

But put in wrong direction on the drawing???

a reply to: LoveSolMoonDeath

Not that, above the middle of the picture toward the right, Gray/black aircraft labeled "Penetrating ISR"

What does ISR stand for?

a reply to: abe froman

en.wikipedia.org...

Look a bit down in the page

a reply to: LoveSolMoonDeath

I thought 180 as well but if you look very close it's got 2 long engines and most importantly is painted black. UAVs tend to be painted grey because of their continued daytime operation. This to me points towards a manned ISR platform.

I'm thinking one that's been photographed not so long ago.

a reply to: Sammamishman

Hi Sam,
Sorry this came to me pdf'd in an email. I'll try see what the best way to post that here is. A reverse image search brings up a consulting firm in Canada. Not sure what that's about!

Apparently the company helped design the Deamliner cockpit amongst other civ and military layouts.

a reply to: aholic

photographed recently. you referring to the Texas mystery aircraft photo?

Could it be the "switchblade"?



Switchblade

Or a variant. Looks similar.

a reply to: Jonjonj

Zooming in I'm not sure the aircraft's wings fold (the one in the OP's pic). There seems to be a wingroot in the way.

Companion?

Now that is interesting.

I wonder if someone got chewed out over that one.

And that looks liked a maned isr.

a reply to: aholic

No problem, I was able to get it bigger now. Thanks.

It is an interesting looking thing and some weight can be put behind being an actual thing since everything else depicted on the diagram is based off a real life article (although in fairness the X-47 show at the bottom was just a demonstrator).
However, I think it may be likely that the creators just came up with a "best guess" at a penetrating ISR platform since generally those types of craft are usually kept close to the DoD's vest. Closer than the other assets shown in the illustration.

it looks like one of the jets from the movie stealth, could be a lockeed martin platform, looks abit like the QF-35

That is a six generation fighter concept from NG...have seen it around in a variety of places.

www.airforcemag.com...

a reply to: WeOwnTheNight

thanks WOTN,

looks just like it and makes sense.

wonder if the 6th generation fighters are just on the drawing board or if it's been seen a lot in magazines and pdfs from consulting firms because it's further along in development than we know or is getting serious traction with those that make r&d or purchasing decisions.



another thing I noticed is zaph hasn't commented on this thread yet. usually we see him by now. either he thinks this is all about nothing and cant believe were jumping at it. knows some secret about it and is laying low. or he's laid out cause he touched the wrong Door handle at some truck stop somewhere and forgot to wash his hands after and then went on to eat finger food and his GI tract is now regretting it.

what say you regarding this thread zaph?

a reply to: BASSPLYR

Sixth Gen is still awhile away. Some basic systems may be in testing, but the airframes won't even have had the designs locked in yet.

a reply to: Zaphod58

any opinion on the image in question of the aircraft.

a reply to: BASSPLYR

They're a mix of current and future technologies and how they're going to blend. The X-47 represents the UCLASS, that represents the 6th Gen.

a reply to: Zaphod58

thanks zaph.

out of curiosity what makes something 6th generation as opposed to 5th or even 5.5th generation?