Why Multi-Function Apertures (MFAs) Matter Today for Tomorrow’s 6th Gen Fighter Aircraft

Modern aerospace and military systems are rapidly evolving, and you must be on the cutting edge to compete with and defend against the latest battlefield sensor technologies. Sensor fusion is crucial to maintaining our dominance, but its full potential remains untapped: true sensor fusion for military aircraft can’t happen without multi-function apertures (MFAs).

For 6th generation airborne platforms, such as the USAF F-47 (Next Generation Air Dominance or NGAD), US Navy F/A-XX, and USAF Combat Collaborative Aircraft (CCA) programs, MFAs represent the next frontier — enabling true sensor fusion and software-defined flexibility with significant size, weight, and power (SWaP) savings. Here’s what MFAs are and why they matter today for tomorrow’s 6th generation fighter aircraft.

What Are Multi-Function Apertures?

In current 5th generation airborne systems across the Department of Defense (DoD) fleet, some degree of sensor fusion exists — but these systems are still built on federated architectures, where radar, electronic warfare, comms, EO/IR, pilotage, and countermeasures each rely on their own dedicated apertures, sensors, and processors.

With a set of MFAs, the apertures can perform all of these sensor functions and send all that data to a centralized processor or make it available to multiple processors distributed throughout the platform. MFAs also offer software-defined flexibility, where functions can be activated simultaneously or dynamically deployed mid-mission using the same hardware, simply reconfigured via software.

That flexibility is why MFA systems will enable 6th generation fighter technology, modern surface ships, and manned and unmanned armored vehicles in the very near future.

The Benefits of Multi-Function Apertures

Multi-function apertures redefine what’s possible for defense platforms, making sensor fusion in military aircraft a reality by unifying data streams and enabling faster, more precise decisions in the battlespace. There are significant benefits — including:

• True sensor fusion: All raw sensor data is shared across the system (not just pre-processed, domain-specific outputs), enabling onboard systems to collaborate in real-time. With MFAs, fighter aircraft gain a unified, holistic view of the battlespace for integrated insights, faster threat detection, and more accurate decision-making
• Greater reliability: Fewer apertures mean there are fewer systems on the platform that can fail, increasing reliability, reducing complexity, and improving maintainability
• SWaP savings: MFAs save space, allowing you to do more with less. Instead of allocating SWaP to domain-specific tasks, resources can be shared and reallocated across domains. MFAs maximize processing power and efficiency by eliminating downtime from unused sensors
• Mission flexibility: Dynamically switch or simultaneously deploy multiple sensor domain functions with a single aperture in real-time, instantly adapting to shifting mission priorities or threats

Why Multi-Function Apertures Matter Now

The US and its allies continue deploying capable 5th generation platforms, but 6th generation systems are on the horizon, and they’ll demand MFA capabilities. That doesn’t mean we have to wait. Tech refresh efforts can begin incorporating MFA-like systems into legacy aircraft now. For example, we can upgrade the F-35 to keep it relevant in the fight side-by-side with future 6th generation aircraft. This retrofit approach might offer a budget-friendly way to field MFA technology faster and at scale.

From a defense and aerospace perspective, early adopters will gain a decisive tactical advantage — in the air, on land, at sea, and in space — enabling us to pace the threat and stay ahead of near-peer adversaries. From a business perspective, the ability to design, integrate, and support MFA systems will become a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive market.

MFAs aren’t just a new type of aperture. They represent a new way of thinking. The shift from federated systems to software-defined, multi-function apertures is already in motion — and those who adopt and adapt early will secure an advantage in contracts, capabilities, and combat.

Let’s start shaping the future of mission success together. Contact the New Wave Design team today.