F-35 to 2070 Air Force Says 'Software' Will Decide Who Wins Future Wars
Channel: U.S.Military Technology
Date: 2018-06-15

Such technological progress informs the technical basis for the F-35’s “sensor fusion,” wherein combat-relevant data from different sensors are synthesized for the pilot on a single screen.

The Air Force is looking to build upon what service scientists have described to Warrior Maven as early iterations of AI.

Alongside sensors, networks and weapons, software is also indispensable to the hugely impactful areas of sustainment, logistics and condition-based maintenance.

These areas, woven together as elements of focus, are the foundation upon which the Air Force seeks to build the F-35’s ability to fly until 2070.

The longevity, continued relevance and technical superiority of the F-35, pilots and weapons developers say, rests entirely on the extent to which it can sustain fast-paced modernization.

At the same time, keeping the F-35 as the world’s premier 5th-generation fighter is not without a wide array of challenges. Lawmakers, members of the military and concerned observers have raised questions regarding cost challenges with the aircraft and the expected sustainment difficulties associated with it.