Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

X-44 MANTA: The 6th Generation ‘NGAD’ Fighter from 1999

X-44 Manta
X-44 Manta. Artist Rendering.

Key Points and Summary: The Air Force’s 6th-generation NGAD stealth fighter may trace its origins to the X-44 MANTA concept from 1999.

-Developed by Lockheed Martin, the X-44 MANTA envisioned a tailless, fully horizontal stealth jet based on the F-22 but designed to maneuver without vertical stabilizers or fins.

-This innovative design combined broadband stealth with maneuverability, a breakthrough now central to NGAD’s design.

-Though canceled for budget reasons, the MANTA laid the foundation for tailless stealth aircraft.

-The lessons learned from this ambitious program have helped shape the NGAD demonstrator, combining stealth and agility into one paradigm-shifting platform.

Did the X-44 MANTA Lay the Groundwork for the Air Force’s NGAD Fighter?

Can early breakthroughs in the realm of the now airborne 6th-generation Air Force NGAD stealth fighter be traced back nearly 30 years? 

The answer may be yes, should one look closely at the experimental Lockheed Martin X-44 Multi-Axis No-Tail Aircraft (MANTA) envisioned in 1999. 

X-44 Manta: A “Tailless F-22?” 

Based on key aspects of the F-22, the X-44 was engineered to be a “tailless” completely horizontal stealth fighter jet capable of vectoring without needing a tail, vertical stabilizers, or fins of any kind. 

Sound familiar? 

This ultra stealth technology built into a high-speed maneuverable stealth fighter jet is a significant conceptual foundation of the now emerging 6th-gen aircraft. 

While the US Air Force’s now airborne 6th-gen NGAD demonstrator has not been publicly seen for security reasons, early defense industry renderings showed tailless, completely horizontal, stealthy airframes consistent with these initial conceptual visions of the X-44 MANTA. 

Of course, a fully horizontal, bomber-like blended wing-body is much stealthier than a plane with vertical structures, yet the possibility of building one able to “thrust vector” and maneuver in an F-22-like fashion without vertical structures aligns with the kinds of “huge” breakthrough now built into 6th-gen.  

Was conceptual work fundamental to current 6th-gen aircraft explored or anticipated in 1999 with visions and conceptual work on the X-44 MANTA?  

Simply put, the X-44 MANTA was envisioned as an airframe that could fully pitch, yaw, and roll without any vertical structures or tailpipes. 

Although the project was canceled for budget reasons, its conceptual existence has had a long-term impact. 

The influence of this vision suggests that the X-44 MANTA is something that, in retrospect, should never have been canceled. 

NGAD Fighter

NGAD Fighter Mock Up. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Perhaps the US Air Force could have had a 6th-generation stealth fighter decades before one arrived? 

New Aerodynamic Breakthrough

The ability to vector without vertical structures and fin stabilizers represents a paradigm-changing aerodynamic breakthrough, given that tails and fins are known to be critical to directing the kinds of airflow surrounding the plane needed to turn sharply and maneuver at high speeds.

The most significant advantage of a fully horizontal aircraft, just to the observer’s eye, would exist in stealth. 

Vertical structures are more straightforward for air defenses and enemy radar to detect because they offer objects and sharp angles that electromagnetic “pings” can bounce off and offer a return rendering. 

Specifically, should massive amounts of electromagnetic signals travel at the speed of light and bounce off different angles, structures, and protruding areas of a fuselage, an enemy radar is much more likely to get a clear picture or “rendering” of an object.  

Fully horizontal blended wing-body designs, such as the B-2, are known as the stealthiest kinds of planes as they appear like a “bird” to enemy radar.

F-22 Raptor Fighter

U.S. Air Force Capt. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander, performs an aerial maneuver in preparation for the ongoing airshow season at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 9, 2024. Airshows play a crucial role in highlighting the importance of air power in modern warfare and help reinforce the deterrence capabilities of advanced fighter aircraft like the F-22 Raptor. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mikaela Smith)

There are no sharp structures off which electromagnetic pings can bounce, yet “broadband” stealth platforms cannot maneuver like an F-22. A B-2 relies on altitude, speed, and the highest available stealth configuration to elude air defenses.

With vertical structures, however, an F-22 might appear less stealthy than a B-2, meaning it would need to use speed and maneuver to supplement its stealth configuration to avoid being target-locked by enemy ground radar. 

Broadband Stealth

Broadband stealth, such as that built into a B-2 or B-21, is engineered to elude lower-frequency “surveillance” and high-frequency “engagement” radars. 

The idea is to conduct clandestine missions without an enemy knowing the aircraft is there.   

An F-22 or F-35, for example, might elude “engagement radar” but potentially still be picked up by long-range, low-frequency “surveillance” radar able to determine that something is “there.”  

Surveillance radar may see a “threat” somewhere in a large area, but it cannot engage, lock on, or fully “engage” a target. This means an F-22 can use its speed, maneuverability, and stealth to destroy enemy air defenses without being successfully targeted or hit. 

NGAD Fighter via Lockheed Martin.

NGAD Fighter via Lockheed Martin.

Narrowly configured, high-speed, high-frequency radar detection is necessary to actually “hit” a target, whereas lower frequency surveillance radar may blanket an area yet remain unable to establish a target lock on an aircraft. 

Stealth and Maneuver: NGAD Meets X-44 Manta 

What about combining both attributes, broadband stealth and maneuverability, into a single platform? 

The idea would be to create the stealthiest configuration possible yet “retain” an ability to maneuver, vector, and hit speeds comparable to an F-22

This is the basis of NGAD 6th-Gen, and it appears it can be traced back to Lockheed’s X-44 MANTA in 1999. 

About the Author: Kris Osborn

Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Written By

Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19 FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven - Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement