The fighter jet of the future will be stealthy, hyperconnected, AI-assisted, and escorted by drones. Here’s what it should look like and why it changes the global military balance.
In summary
The fighter jet of the future will not only be faster or more maneuverable than the Rafale, F-35, or J-20. Above all, it will be a connected air combat hub, capable of piloting drones, jamming the enemy, striking from afar, and analyzing the battlefield in real time. Its stealth capabilities will need to remain effective against increasingly powerful radars. Its propulsion system will need to offer power, range, and thermal management to support energy-intensive sensors. Its cockpit will need to incorporate artificial intelligence to assist the pilot in threat management, targeting, and electronic warfare. Current programs—NGAD in the United States, GCAP between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan, and SCAF between France, Germany, and Spain—are already pointing in this direction. Whoever masters this generation of aircraft will dominate the skies and wield political influence in their regional neighborhood.
The need for credible, broad-spectrum stealth
Stealth will remain a key priority for the fighter aircraft of the future. Today, aircraft such as the F-35 are optimized to reduce their frontal radar cross-section in order to delay detection by enemy radars. This is already a major tactical advantage. But it is no longer enough.
Modern air defenses combine several types of radar: L-band, S-band, X-band, passive radars that exploit reflections from civilian transmitters, and sensor networks distributed over long distances. The Russians, for the defense of their territory, and the Chinese, around the South China Sea, are already installing these layered architectures. Future fighter jets will therefore need to aim for omnidirectional stealth, not just frontal stealth. This requires a fuselage with no protruding edges, new-generation absorbent materials, fully internal weapon bays, and active thermal management to reduce the infrared signature.
The engagement distance will also have to be taken into account. Long-range air-to-air missiles already exceed 150 km. This means that being detected at 200 km instead of 80 km can make the difference between firing first or being destroyed. The fighter jet of the future will have to survive in a space saturated with sensors and still be able to approach within effective firing range.
The requirements are clear: the aircraft will have to remain undetectable by ground-to-air systems equivalent to or superior to the Russian S-400, capable of detecting targets at over 300 km (approximately 185 nautical miles). It will also have to remain safe against 5th or 6th generation enemy fighters, which will also be flying below the radar threshold. In other words, stealth is no longer a marketing luxury. It is a prerequisite for survival in the air combat of the future.
Propulsion and energy: an engine that also powers the sensors
The fighter jet of the future will not be able to make do with a conventional turbojet engine. Energy requirements are skyrocketing. Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars consume a significant amount of power. So do active electronic warfare systems and high-speed data links. In the future, directed energy weapons—powerful directional jamming, short-range defensive lasers—will further increase this demand for electricity.
This requires high-efficiency propulsion. In the United States, work on so-called “adaptive” engines is aimed at achieving a dynamic compromise between maximum thrust and fuel economy. The stated goal is to increase thrust by about 10% while improving range by about 25%. In practice, this means maintaining high supersonic performance without having to refuel every 30 minutes. Endurance is strategic: if an aircraft has to defend a naval group at sea or monitor a contested area, staying in the zone for two hours instead of one completely changes its operational value.
Another challenge is thermal. The more electrical energy is produced on board, the more heat is generated. However, heat radiates in the infrared, making the aircraft detectable by IRST (InfraRed Search and Track) sensors. Future aircraft will therefore need to incorporate active thermal management. Cooling internal systems is becoming as critical as reducing radar signature. We are no longer seeking to break speed records. We are seeking a balance between power, range, radar signature, infrared signature, and electromagnetic signature.
This engine will also need to remain reliable over long cycles. Modern aircraft already reach supersonic speeds of over Mach 1.6, or more than 1,900 km/h at high altitude. The goal is not Mach 3. The goal is to go fast when necessary, but above all to stay there long enough to control the area and guide remote effectors such as drones.
Combat connectivity: the aircraft as the brain of the network
The fighter jet of the future will never fight alone. It will be the center of a network. This is where the concept of a “system of systems” comes into its own. The fighter jet will be a flying command node capable of receiving data, merging it, making tactical decisions, and then redistributing orders to other platforms.
This network will include several layers:
- other manned fighter jets;
- early warning aircraft;
- ground and naval sensors;
- and, above all, combat drones called loyal wingmen.
The data link will need to be secure, high-speed, and resistant to jamming. The United States is already working on highly directional links based on narrow beams to reduce the risk of interception. Europe is pushing the idea of an air combat cloud, shared between several national actors and branches of the armed forces. The objective is clear: whoever sees first shoots first and transmits the information to everyone else without human delay.
This connectivity has immediate effects. The aircraft on the front line can remain silent (radar off) and receive a tactical image generated by other sensors located 200 or 300 km away. It becomes a fighter-bomber without transmitting. This increases its survivability and interdiction capability.
Let’s be frank: an aircraft without tactical connectivity is already of little value against a serious adversary. The fighter of the future will therefore need to incorporate multiple antennas, real-time data fusion computers, and electronic countermeasures to protect this network. Whoever cuts off the enemy’s network and protects their own gains the upper hand without even firing a missile.
Offensive electronic warfare as the primary weapon
Electronic warfare is no longer a support function. It has become a weapon in its own right. The fighter jet of the future will need to jam, saturate, deceive, and blind the enemy. This is not theoretical. Recent theaters of war have shown that any air force that enters a defended zone without electronic superiority will be destroyed, or will not emerge at all.
Future fighters will therefore have to generate their own electronic protection bubbles. In practical terms, this means creating a local zone where ground-to-air radars can no longer see clearly, where missile guidance links are disrupted, and where enemy sensors detect false positions. This reduces the probability of interception by a long-range surface-to-air missile before the aircraft even enters lethal range.
Let’s be clear: a stealth aircraft that does not jam dies when enemy radars begin to adapt to its signature. An aircraft that jams without being discreet dies because it is spotted too early. The aircraft of the future must combine both: stealth and advanced electronic warfare. This is the only way to survive in environments saturated with modern surface-to-air defenses.
This electronic component also opens the door to non-kinetic attacks. The radar station is not destroyed. It is blinded or silenced for two minutes. Two minutes is enough to open a firing window for an air-to-ground missile or a kamikaze drone. It is a cold way of saying that the air superiority of the future will be as much software-based as it is kinetic.
The role of “loyal wingman” combat drones
The fighter jet of the future will no longer go on deep offensive missions alone. It will go with drones. These drones, sometimes referred to as loyal wingmen, will fulfill several roles: jamming, reconnaissance, air-to-ground strikes, and short-range air-to-air interception, all at a lower unit cost than a manned aircraft.
The economic principle is brutal: sending a piloted fighter costing more than €100 million, including the aircraft and pilot training, into a very high-risk area is a political and military risk. Sending a disposable stealth drone costing €5 to €10 million per unit is more acceptable. These drones extend the lethal range of the manned fighter without exposing the pilot.
Future aircraft will therefore need to incorporate a native capability to command these drones. This requires dedicated antennas, real-time management of multiple vectors, and a human-machine interface that does not overload the pilot. Pilots cannot be expected to manage their trajectory, fuel, ground-to-air threats at 80 km, and four offensive drones at 30 km without heavy software assistance. This is why artificial intelligence will be entering the cockpit.
Delegating certain tasks to these drones also changes the size of the main aircraft. We can imagine a future fighter that carries less internal ammunition but acts as a patrol leader. It does not need to carry eight missiles under its wings. It must orchestrate eight missiles carried by its drones.
Artificial intelligence as an onboard tactical assistant
The aircraft of the future will not be able to make do with just a pilot and a clearly readable HUD. The amount of information is becoming unmanageable for humans. It needs to be sorted, prioritized, and decisions made. Artificial intelligence is not intended to replace the pilot. Its role will be to assist, lighten the cognitive load, and speed up the detection-decision-fire cycle.
In concrete terms, this means:
- automatic identification of priority threats within a radius of more than 200 km;
- recommendation of evasive maneuvers;
- live calculation of the optimal firing envelope for each air-to-air missile;
- tactical management of escort drones.
The pilot remains the one who validates lethal use. But everything that can be prepared, displayed, and simplified must be. Recent tests of AI-controlled experimental aircraft flights have shown that basic piloting and certain interception maneuvers can already be performed by an algorithm. This is a military fact, not a fantasy.
This also has a direct effect on crew training. Training a high-level fighter pilot costs several million euros and takes years of flying. If AI assistance can reduce the time it takes to reach an acceptable tactical level, the advantage is enormous: faster ramp-up, smoother crew turnover, and the ability to hold out longer against a larger opposing force. Modern warfare is also a war of human attrition. Reducing the shortage of qualified pilots is a strategic advantage.
True versatility: air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, intelligence
The fighter jet of the future cannot be a “pure interceptor” or a “pure bomber.” Western and Asian air forces now require a multi-role fighter capable of ensuring air superiority, striking a ground target, and then providing intelligence in the same flight. This is as much a budgetary constraint as it is an operational one.
Why? Because fleets are shrinking. European countries have been reducing the size of their air forces for years. The United States, despite budgets exceeding $700 billion annually, has also reduced the total number of front-line fighters since the Cold War. China, for its part, is investing heavily to catch up in terms of quality. As a result, each aircraft must cover several roles.
The future fighter jet will therefore need to incorporate:
- a long-range AESA radar capable of simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground tracking;
- high-resolution electro-optical and infrared sensors for ground target designation;
- secure data links to transmit intelligence that can be immediately exploited by a command center or friendly ground-to-air battery;
- long-range precision strike capability against strategic targets (silos, runways, radars);
- electronic self-protection capability.
This versatility has a direct consequence: the airframe must be able to carry a variety of weapons in its internal bays without compromising stealth. Long-range air-to-air missiles, short-range air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground guided missiles, loitering munitions launched from the aircraft, electronic warfare pods, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) sensors. This requires a modular internal architecture. Anyone who locks their fighter into a single doctrine will immediately fall behind operationally.
Leading manufacturers: United States, Europe, China, Japan
Several programs are already shaping what the fighter jet of the future will look like.
In the United States, the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program aims to achieve air superiority with a 6th generation manned aircraft, combined with accompanying drones. The NGAD is set to succeed the F-22 in long-range air dominance missions. The announced objectives include very low signature stealth, adaptive propulsion, extreme connectivity, and drone control.
In Europe, two blocs are moving forward separately. The SCAF (Future Air Combat System) brings together France, Germany, and Spain. The idea is clear: to produce a sixth-generation fighter aircraft accompanied by a swarm of drones, connected by a shared combat cloud. The program is politically sensitive because it raises the key question of who controls critical technology and exports.
At the same time, the GCAP (Global Combat Air Program) brings together the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. Here too, the goal is a sixth-generation fighter jet that is stealthy, highly connected, and designed from the outset to work with drones. Japan contributes its industrial base in electronics and signal processing, the United Kingdom contributes the expertise of BAE Systems, and Italy contributes Leonardo’s avionics and electronic warfare capabilities.
China, with the J-20 and its work on advanced combat drones, is seeking to lock down air access around Taiwan and in the South China Sea. Beijing is investing in stealth, local propulsion, and drone-fighter integration. The stated goal is to prevent any Western force from operating freely within a radius of several hundred kilometers around the continent.
It is clear what is at stake: the aircraft of the future is not just a technical object. It is a lever of strategic sovereignty. Those who control their own aerospace industrial chain remain politically autonomous. Those who depend on a foreign supplier for sensors, engines, or weapons no longer have control.
Geopolitical consequences and the global balance of power
The future fighter jet will shape the military balance of power for the next 30 years. It will also have a significant impact on alliances.
First, access to this technology will create a clear divide between countries capable of producing it and countries condemned to buying it. The former will retain their strategic autonomy. The latter will become dependent on export licenses that can be suspended overnight for political reasons.
Second, mastery of the fighter + offensive drone combination will change the way no-fly zones are enforced. A country capable of deploying a sixth-generation aircraft with a swarm of combat drones can lock down access to its airspace over several hundred kilometers without lining up hundreds of aircraft. This applies to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the China Sea. It also applies to the protection of energy sites, critical infrastructure, and maritime corridors.
Finally, the widespread use of artificial intelligence in the cockpit and in escort drones raises a direct political question: who makes the decision to fire lethal weapons? The military claims it wants to keep humans in the loop. This is politically correct. In practice, at Mach 1.5 (approximately 1,850 km/h) with several simultaneous threats, the reaction time is so short that partial delegation to the algorithm becomes inevitable. This is a moral and strategic breaking point. Those who accept the highest degree of automation may gain an immediate tactical advantage, but they will also bear the ethical and diplomatic risks if the engagement goes wrong.
The fighter jet of the future is therefore not just a platform. It is a strategic statement of intent. It says unequivocally: this is how a state intends to impose its military will within a 1,000 km radius of its borders.
Live a unique fighter jet experience