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Designer (Party B): Boss from Party A, what kind of next-generation fighter do you want?
Air Force (Party A): First, it needs to be fast. In martial arts, speed is everything.
B: How about over Mach 5?
A: Can it be faster?
B: (Takes notes) Faster... Anything else you require?
A: It needs to fly very, very high.
B: How high do you want it to fly?
A: Higher than the range of current surface-to-air missiles and fifth-generation aircraft.
B: What about the middle layer? Over 50,000 meters? Not only would current surface-to-air missiles and fifth-gen aircraft be unable to reach, but even the air-to-air missiles carried by fifth-gen aircraft wouldn’t be able to travel far relying solely on rocket propulsion, and they wouldn’t be able to reach either.
A: Then the air-to-air missiles I carry must have long range, so I can strike the enemy while they can’t hit me.
B: Would 1,000 kilometers be enough?
A: That’s enough, but would they be too bulky and difficult to carry?
B: Above 50,000 meters, the air resistance is much lower, so they won’t be too large or long. Don’t worry, brother units have already designed surface-to-air missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, so this is no problem.
A: Then, make sure I carry more, so I can fight ten at once.
B: (Takes notes) At least 12 missiles...
A: Also, put on some medium-range missiles. These medium-range missiles need to have a range of over 300 kilometers. I want to use them as short-range missiles, so I can suppress the enemy comprehensively. Even a shorter range is useless.
B: Then, I’ll arrange 4 missiles.
A: By the way, I have some requirements for the long-range air-to-air missiles. Can they be used to hit Starlink satellites, strike ground-based phased array radar, and attack enemy early-warning aircraft?
B: (Takes notes) Long-range missile guidance heads diversified to meet different requirements—one missile, multiple uses.
A: Can the cockpit be designed as a side-by-side, dual-seat layout?
B: That’s simple, but why?
A: Our aircraft will be highly digitalized, with excellent external sensing capabilities. We will need to process a lot of information. Although we have supercomputing power and AI-assisted decision-making, having two people will allow for more collaboration and handling of information, leading to more scientific and rational decision-making.
B: This can also be done with a tandem dual-seat.
A: A side-by-side layout makes communication easier. The two pilots can coordinate more intuitively, even understanding each other with a glance. This is something a tandem layout can’t achieve.
B: (Takes notes)
A: Also, the sixth-generation fighter must have a long range.
B: How far do you want it to go? Why?
A: At least 5,000 kilometers. I need to break through the second island chain and preferably reach the enemy’s doorstep.
B: Then, an 8,000-kilometer range, with a combat radius of over 3,000 kilometers.
A: (A bit worried) Is that feasible?
B: (Thinks for a moment) I will use two turbofan engines to break the sound barrier and send the aircraft into the stratosphere. Then, I’ll add a scramjet engine to propel the aircraft into the middle atmosphere, achieving speeds above Mach 5.
A: Three engines? Is that enough power?
B: We can’t rely solely on power. The aircraft will be designed as a wave-riding body, and we will use Qian Xuesen's ballistic theory, similar to "skipping stones," allowing the aircraft to achieve an 8,000-kilometer range or even a 5,000-kilometer combat radius without needing mid-air refueling.
A: Mach 5 speed, 50,000-meter altitude, and a 5,000-kilometer combat radius—wouldn't that make it the world’s first aircraft with three “5” specifications?
B: You need to trust us, trust our research and innovation capabilities, and trust our unique global industrial system.
[Both parties enthusiastically shake hands]
Final statement: This article is purely imaginative, and if there are any similarities, we’d be honored.
