๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ค๐ฉ? ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐-22 ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ ๐-35๐จ & 6๐ฉ๐-๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ก 2070
The U.S. Air Force F-22 fleet was prematurely truncated around 169 aircraft following the collapse of the Soviet Union
(Washington D.C.) The U.S. Air Forceย F-22ย fleet was prematurely truncated around 169 aircraft following theย collapse of the Soviet Unionย and the end of the Cold War. The decision was in retrospect regarded as ill-advised and detrimental to the U.S. Air Forceโs ability to maintain its edge over great power rivals such as Russia and China. Perhaps decision-makers at the time were distracted by counterinsurgency and operated with only a short-term threat calculus. After all, while built in the 1990s, the F-22 was first introduced in 2005 during the height of the ground wars inย Iraqย andย Afghanistan.
Circling the Fleet
The size of the fleet, however, is merely one of several reasons why even the older F-22s should not be retired. An ability to โmassโ F-22s for their well-known โfirst-strike, first-killโ mission mantra would be compromised should the fleet be greatly reduced. However, continued serviceย life for the F-22ย would be much less relevant if the aircraft did not retain or expand upon its combat performance abilities.
This is the most vital reason why theย F-22 should be extendedย as long as possible, because 3.2b software upgrades have massively improved the attack capacity of the craftโs air-to-air weapons and its stealth coating has been maintained and reinforced. This 3.2b software upgrade, which began development and use several years ago, improved the guidance, targeting, precision, and range of several impactful air-to-air weapons such as theย AIM-9Xย andย AIM-120D. With this enhancement, which is now operationalย across the fleet, the F-22ย has arguably maintained its air-to-air supremacy moving into the future.
While often thought of by pilots as an โaerial quarterback,โ air-to-air supremacy fighter with an optimal thrust-to-weight ratio and the most maneuverable air-combat fighter in existence, the F-22 has in more recent years shown its versatility by successfully performingย Close Air Support attackย missions against ISIS in 2014. This 2014 deployment was in fact the F-22โs first combat deployment.
Rapid Raptor Program โ First Shot, First Kill
The Raptor is also famous for its first-strike, first-kill mission assignment, as the Air Force has an existing, yet lesser known โRapid Raptorโ program designed to forward position F-22s in vital locations such that it can attack anywhere in the world within 24 hours. The Rapid Raptor Program requires maintainers and support equipment to ensure readiness in the event that F-22s need to immediately respond and be tasked to attack in remote or unanticipated areas.
Networking breakthroughs with communications technology allowing the aircraft to increasingly exchange information with 4th-generation aircraft and even use LINK 16 for two-way connectivity withย F-35s. There is even an emerging Northrop Grumman radio, called the Freedom 550, which uses advanced frequencies and software programming to enable F-22 to F-35 two-way targeting data exchange while preserving โstealth modeโ and not emitting a detectable electronic signature. The F-22 will also be configured to use an advanced transport layer command and control to operate multiple drones from the cockpit.
Continued modernization and the viability and maintenance of its airframes and stealth properties suggest it would be ill-advised to deplete the existing fleet of F-22s, in large measure because it will likely also be configured to support, fly alongside with, and reinforce emerging 6th-generation aircraft.