DARPA CRANE: Active Flow Control, X-Planes, and the Emerging Race for Sixth-Generation Air Dominance

Introduction: The Next Revolution in Airpower Is Not a New Engine—It Is a New Way to Fly The race for air dominance is entering a transformative phase in which stealth, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, autonomous systems, and aerodynamics are converging to redefine military aviation. While sixth-generation fighter programs such as the U.S. Air Force’s Next…