I have to admit that the 6th gen classification sounds a bit weak. Data links are hardly new and fighters have been integrating every weapon under the sun for decades.
But the Open Architecture stuff (and more generally how tech is shared between projects) appears to have started serving America well.
The 6th gen is primarily based on a completely new generation of stealth technology. The data infrastructure is more 5th gen (which is still pretty sophisticated).
This is an interesting point. While pulling of an attack like that wouldn't be easy, just having your entire air force having to patch for it simultaneously would be devastating from an availabilty PoV. Perhaps information security assurance is the real 6th gen? :)
Additional PR from Northrop: https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/air/b-21-raider/1...
I have to admit that the 6th gen classification sounds a bit weak. Data links are hardly new and fighters have been integrating every weapon under the sun for decades.
But the Open Architecture stuff (and more generally how tech is shared between projects) appears to have started serving America well.