Screenshot/YouTube via AsianDefence
- The French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation recently published a video that gives a glimpse into what the reported Franco-German fifth generation aircraft might look like.
- While it's unclear whether the fighter will be a fifth or sixth generation figher, the focus will probably be on stealth technology, and integration with information systems.
The French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation recently published a video that gives a glimpse into what the reported Franco-German fifth generation aircraft might look like.
France and Germany announced in July 2017 that they would be joining forces to build an advanced "European" fighter to replace Dassault Aviation's Rafales and Germany's Eurofighter Typhoons, The War Zone reported last summer.
"As expected, 2-engine deltawing," Sim Tack, chief military analyst at Force Analysis and Global Fellow at Strator, tweeted on Thursday about the new Dassault Aviation video, in which the conceptual fighter appears around minute 3:10.
"I think if they can pull it all off, this seems a legitimate candidate for a highly capable competitor to the F-35 and Su-57," Tack messaged Business Insider.
Unlike the F-35, Dassault's next generation fighter will supposedly have two engines and therefore much more thrust, Tack said.
"In terms of capabilities, the focus will probably be on stealth technology, and integration with information systems," Tack said, such as "sharing information between aircraft, possibly commanding drones, etc."
Tack added that it's up for debate whether this aircraft would be a fifth or sixth generation fighter.
The Dassault fighter also appears to have a vertical stabilizer, which will cut down on radar reflections from the side, giving it greater stealth capabilities, Tack said.
In any event, the next generation fighter will probably be under development for the next 20 years, Tack said.