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The Air Force Has a Plan to Make Sure the F-22 Raptor Fighter Still Dominates

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Graham, 3rd Wing crew chief, marshalls an F-22 Raptor on the flight line at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, during an elephant walk, May 5, 2020. The large show-of-force demonstrated the wings’ rapid mobility capabilities and response readiness during COVID-19 and also highlighted the ability to generate combat airpower at a moment’s notice to ensure regional stability throughout the North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Westin Warburton)
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Graham, 3rd Wing crew chief, marshalls an F-22 Raptor on the flight line at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, during an elephant walk, May 5, 2020. The large show-of-force demonstrated the wings’ rapid mobility capabilities and response readiness during COVID-19 and also highlighted the ability to generate combat airpower at a moment’s notice to ensure regional stability throughout the North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Westin Warburton)

Big Bucks Plowed Into Improving the Aging F-22 Raptor Fighter Platform: The F-22 Raptor – what many consider the best fighter jet on Earth today – is not going away anytime soon.

Once thought to be a victim of differing priorities and penny-pinching by the Air Force, the stealth warbird is getting a second look from appropriators and attention from a principal defense contractor who just won a bid to refurbish the fighter, which is entering middle age.

Let’s Add to Its Survivability

RTX won a contract recently to upgrade the F-22. Worth $1 billion, it will help improve the Raptor’s sensor package to make its situational awareness top-notch. The upgrades for the fleet of F-22s will not happen soon, it will take around four years to get the job done. But it is good news for the fighter that is expected to become a champion in any conflict with countries like China.

This Upgrade Could Help the NGAD

One interesting tidbit about the upgrade package is that these new sensors could possibly be used on the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter. This is a 6th generation program that is currently on pause until its unit costs come down below $100 million each (instead of the eye watering $300 million price tag). The NGAD also has question marks about its design and will need a hefty investment in research and development.

This Is a Fairly Advanced Acquisition Program

Meanwhile, the F-22 is aging, and it needs a middle tier acquisition program of upgrades that is expensive but necessary to maintain its combat edge over rival fighters from Russia and China.

“The F-22 team is working really hard on executing a modernization roadmap to field advanced sensors, connectivity, weapons, and other capabilities. We’re executing that successfully, and that will lead to […] a rapid fielding in the near future,” said Brig. Gen. Jason D. Voorheis, the Program Executive Officer for Fighter and Advanced Aircraft.

The new sensors will consist of Infrared Search and Track pods that will still maintain the jet’s stealthiness but will give it better survivability in contested environments.

The Raptor Leads the World In Stealthiness

In fact, the F-22 is likely the world’s stealthiest fighter and has a radar cross-section that is many times smaller than the F-35. This is why Air Force watchers often yearn for the sneaky Raptor warbird to be upgraded instead of being retired.

The latest upgrade contract will add to the $7.8 billion in spending by 2030 for the F-22, which includes $3.1 billion for research and development and $4.7 billion in acquisition.

The F-22 Raptor first flew over 26 years ago, so it is looking for enhancements to maintain its freshness and relevance for the next few decades before the NGAD is ready.

Does the F-35’s Multinational Use Give It a Leg Up on the F-22?

I like the Raptor, but I prefer the F-35 because it is a multinational fighter that gives the Lightning II global interoperability.

Finland F-35

Finland with F-35 fighter. Image Credit: Lockheed Martin.

This is important because the F-35 can be used by so many allies that it is a force multiplier in Europe and East Asia since there are a substantial number of countries that can fly it. The F-22, on the other hand, was never built for export and it is forbidden to be sold to other countries.

Both airplanes have been drains on the U.S. Treasury. Until the NGAD comes onto the scene, they will both cost trillions to keep in the air over the next several decades.

Check Out What the F-22 Pilot Says

Pilots seems to love the F-22. Aviation guru Alex Hollings at Sandboxx relayed an interview with Raptor test pilot Mike ‘Dozer’ Shower for an article about the F-22 this week. Dozer had this to say about the Raptor compared to the F-15.

“In an F-15 you’re a sensor operator, you’re working the radar; you’re the guy working this all out and managing the systems and putting together the 3D picture in your head. That’s the difference with the F-22 Raptor. It does it all for you,” Shower recalled. “You could take four weapons instructors in an F-15 each and you could have some lieutenant who is ‘weapons clueless’ and he’s gonna find them all and kill them all. Then you put one really good guy in an F-15 against a Raptor and he’s still gonna get killed; there’s that much of a difference in technology.”

So, the F-22’s performance is not a problem if you ask pilots, but bean counters in the Pentagon and Congress may want to keep an eye on the ballooning cost of these upgrades. The price tag is substantial and when you add the F-35 and NGAD into the mix, you are talking about real money.

However, war planners have Russia and China to worry about, so the United States needs as many combat-ready stealth fighters as possible.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.

Brent M. Eastwood
Written By

Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Avatar

    Jacksonian Libertarian

    September 23, 2024 at 7:11 pm

    The “sunk cost fallacy” occurs when we feel that we have invested too much to quit. This psychological trap causes us to stick with a plan even if it no longer serves us and the costs clearly outweigh the benefits.

    “Drones own the battlefield”
    “Never send a man to a drone fight”
    The best strategy is to have the greatest Combat Power to Price ratio.
    “Captains should study tactics, but Generals must study logistics.”
    For the price of One F-22 ($332,000,000 + $70,000/hr operating cost) 332,000 $1,000 drones could be place in storage for future use with little ongoing operating costs.
    Where are America’s drone swarms?

  2. Avatar

    RequestBeingVerified

    September 24, 2024 at 3:20 am

    Man, prof, i’d file this ‘plan’ under the “smoke & mirrors” category.

    Raptor nothing to be feared by chinese assuming they now have half a brain, maybe, maybe not. Who knows.

    What those chinese have to truly FEAR ARE the b-21 raider, the (repurposed) SM-6, the dark eagle (LRHW), poissiy the tomahawk, JSM, NSM and the like.

    Raptor ? Pfft.

  3. Avatar

    Len Mullen

    September 24, 2024 at 1:33 pm

    The Raptor just needs GE engines.

  4. Avatar

    Big Jake

    September 25, 2024 at 1:49 pm

    “I like the Raptor, but I prefer the F-35 because it is a multinational fighter that gives the Lightning II global interoperability.”

    Another dumb comment from this juvenile author. Cracker Jack should revoke your PhD.

    The F-35 is not a fighter. It’s basically the world’s most expensive “fifth generation” A-7.

  5. Avatar

    Big Jake

    September 25, 2024 at 1:51 pm

    I’m still laughing at the notion that Fat Amy is seen as a fighter by “Doctor” Eastwood. 🤣

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