Adviser to the First Deputy CEO of Radio-Electronic Technologies Group (KRET) Vladimir Mikheyev told TASS on Thursday that KRET was developing onboard equipment and electromagnetic weapons for future fighter aircraft.
“We already have laser protection systems installed on aircraft and helicopters, and now we are talking about developments in the field of powered lasers that will be able to physically destroy attacking missiles’ homing heads,” Mikheyev said.
Air-to-ground or air-to-air missiles have targeting systems on the missile that uses radar or heat-seeking technology to guide the missile to the target to destroy it.
Russian Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin announced in March 2016 that Russia had started work on an advanced fighter jet.
“Roughly speaking, we’ll be able to burn out ‘the eyes’ of missiles that ‘look at us.’ Naturally, such systems will be installed on sixth-generation aircraft as well,” he added.
In addition to electromagnetic guns, the Russian sixth-generation fighter jet will also get guided electronic munitions.
Sixth-generation fighter jets will perform ‘formation’ flights where one or two manned aircraft will fly alongside 20-30 drones that will be capable of carrying any weapons, Mikheyev explained.
“One drone in a formation flight will carry microwave weapons, including guided electronic munitions while another drone will carry radio-electronic suppression and destruction means and a third UAV will be armed with a set of standard weaponry. Each specific task is solved by different armaments,” the advisor said.
KRET is developing a radio-photonic locator for the future combat plane. “The radio-photonic radar will be able to see farther than existing radars, in our estimates. And, as we irradiate an enemy in an unprecedentedly wide range of frequencies, we’ll know its position with the highest accuracy and after processing we’ll get an almost photographic image of it – radio vision,” Mikheyev said.
“This is important for determining the type [of an aircraft]: the plane’s computer will immediately and automatically identify a flying object, for example, an F-18 with specific types of missile armament.”
Suplementing the radio-photonic equipment will be a multi-spectral optical system operating in various ranges – the laser, infrared, ultraviolet which considerably exceeds the spectrum visible to humans.
According to the former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Pyotr Deinekin, Russia should engage in a detailed study of long-range drones, the more so since combat aircraft of the sixth generation will most likely prove unmanned.
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