Abstract: Air superiority is the prerequisite of all air operations in modern wars, and the research and development of fighters have long been attached great importance to by all military powers. The U.S. has been leading in air combat theory, fighter research and development, and air combat practice for decades, and has already completed the air combat capability transition from energy maneuverability to information maneuverability. As the technologies of autonomy, artificial intelligence, UAV, communication, and computing are rapidly progressing, the U.S. is now shaping the new air combat form by speeding up the development of the complex air combat system, in which the next generation fighter is the core node. Cognitive maneuverability will then be the winning mechanism in the future air combat. In this paper, a systemic review of evolution of the winning mechanism in air combat is conducted, and the development trend of future fighter is given based on an analysis of the current technological layout.

Key words: air combat system, air superiority, energy maneuverability, information maneuverability, cognitive maneuverability, next generation fighter, winning mechanism