Years ago, there was a passionate push to restart the F-22 Raptor fighter production line, an effort ultimately abandoned due to cost concerns. The interest in restarting the program emerged from the recognition that the program was cut way too early and way too short.
The US Air Force operates 185 F-22s, a fraction of the initially planned number. The end of the Cold War seems to have generated a fair amount of short-term thinking, as it resulted in the collapse of a number of highly critical and promising platforms, such as the B-2 bomber, F-22 fighter, and Seawolf submarine.
The B-2 fleet size was decreased to merely 20 airframes, and of course, Raptor production was canceled after only a small portion of the anticipated fleet was built. The US Navy Seawolf was entirely abandoned after three boats.
In recent years, many Pentagon weapons developers and defense experts have come to lament these prior decisions, wondering if those responsible for such determinations lived with concern and regret.
The Cold War ended, and Russia was much less of a threat to the country, yet the threat equation was a mere snapshot in time, a brief window when the US did not appear to have a great-power threat. However, any student of history or geopolitical expert could easily have embraced a much more accurate, longer-term worldview based on trends and future predictions.
US-Only F-22 Raptor Fighter?
Neither the B-2 nor the F-22 were made available for foreign sales, which may have significantly impacted the scope and potential future of the programs. In the case of the F-22, the Pentagon made the determination that it would not be available for any foreign sales, even in a scaled-back export variant.
US military decision-makers may have believed the F-22 was built with such a unique and unprecedented mix of advanced technologies that it simply should not be shared with any allies in any capacity. Sure enough, many expert observers argue that the F-22 remains the best and most superior air dominance platform the world has ever seen. Perhaps the F-22 incorporates additional air-war capabilities beyond those discussed publicly.
This air dominance may be the case, given that the F-22 has remained US-only.
F-22 & Air Supremacy
F-22 specs state the Raptor can hit Mach 2.25, a speed placing the aircraft in a very small, elite group of high-speed fighters, including the US F-15 Eagle, F-14 Tomcat, and several Russian aircraft such as the Su-27, Su-35, MiG-31, and MiG-25.
The MiG-31 and MIG-25 are listed as capable of hitting Mach 2.83 speeds. However, they are not stealthy and potentially less agile. Generating thrust without incorporating stealth properties is easier, and the Russian MiGs are heavier planes likely to be much less nimble than an F-22.
Apart from speed, arguably the most considerable F-22 advantage may pertain to its impressive thrust-to-weight ratio, meaning its speed, propulsion, and engine thrust are very high and effective due to the F-22’s lighter weight. Simply put, the F-22 Raptor operates with unparalleled aerial maneuverability and dogfighting capability, making it perhaps alone in the world as an air-to-air combat platform.
F-22 Raptor. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Unlike the F-35, which has reached 19 countries, the F-22 has gone nowhere. Would the program have had a vastly different outcome if the F-22 had been made available for foreign sales?
The answer is likely yes, as allied participation in the Raptor program would undoubtedly have massively expanded aircraft production and likely inspired the US to build higher numbers of the Raptor.
It would likely have had an experience similar to the F-35, which could spread like wildfire across the free world once pilots and allied militaries experienced the aircraft. The other aspect of scaling production is massively lowering costs, which may have enabled US and allied customers to order larger aircraft through lot or block buys.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is Military Technology Editor and the 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.
