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A sleek new energy-efficient airlift prototype that might eventually be added to the Air Force’s mobility fleet will be built and flown by JetZero, an aerospace startup specializing in fuel-efficient jets, the military revealed Wednesday.
In a year-long competition organized by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, the Z-5 airframe—a blended wing body design with an oblong fuselage and long, narrow wings that resembles a B-2 Spirit bomber more than a Boeing 747—was picked over one other competitor.
A full-scale prototype of JetZero will be ready for its first flight in 2027. The choice represents a major turning point in aircraft design and provides a preview of a more capable, environmentally friendly future for the Air Force inventory.
The provision was lauded by service representatives as a significant advancement that will enable the US military to keep up with Chinese technology and outmaneuver its forces in a possible confrontation.
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Demand Grows for High-Performance, Cost-Efficient Assets
Tom O’Leary, CEO of JetZero, announced the initiative during an Air and arena Forces Association event. We’re going into this new area where it’s all about bringing capabilities to the Air Force, the warfighter, [and] the commercial space.
With the Pacific now the Pentagon’s main priority, assets that can fly farther and faster without costing a fortune are in high demand. The military and defense industry are being prompted to rethink the massive, slow platforms for contested areas as cargo and tanker aircraft are predicted to come into harm’s way more frequently.
Additionally, the more agile the remainder of the joint force is on the battlefield, the sooner mobility assets may get to their destination. Lethality rises as range increases. The ability to generate additional sorties thanks to improved fuel efficiency.
This capability will be essential in a time when installations won’t serve as the refuge they did during earlier conflicts. In order to carry payloads where the wing meets the body and be less detectable on radar, this method flattens a conventional tube fuselage into a more aerodynamic, somewhat triangular form.
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Source: www.airforcetimes.com
