F22 Plane Crazy - The US Congress has asked senior members of the US Air Force to investigate the possibility of restarting production lines for the F-22 Raptor, arguably the most advanced fighter jet in existence today. This could potentially be the solution the US military is looking for to its perceived fighter gap, especially with foreign nationals quickly closing the technology gap by developing their own next-generation fighters.
The first production F-22 was ordered suspended in 2009, producing only 187 fighters by 2012, while the original procurement plan called for a total purchase of over 750 fighters, which would have replaced the Air Force's aging F-15 Eagle en masse. . Due to limited purchases, which were drastically reduced in the years before production ended, the Air Force invested billions of dollars in extending the life of its F-15s, which currently form the backbone of the air superiority fleet. However, there is only so much that can be done to keep the Eagles relevant, especially with China and Russia trying to build their own advanced 5th generation fighters (including mass export models).
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The Raptor has yet to have a chance to take on enemy fighters in air-to-air combat, but it has performed well at various Red Flag exercises in Nevada, where it routinely competes in various air combat training against the best. allied nations must offer. Its super maneuverability, delivered by thrust vectoring on two P&W F119 turbofans, along with advanced sensor fusion and a powerful radar, gives the Raptor incredible air superiority over any adversary. Its stealthy design makes it even harder to detect and kill. But air superiority isn't all the Raptor is good at. Proving to be a multirole fighter, the F-22 has been in combat operations over Syria and Iraq for the past eleven months, engaged in airstrikes against Daesh (ISIS) as part of the US contingent supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
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Lt. Col. Robert Buchanan, commander of the 301st Fighter Squadron, makes his final launch preparations, Feb. 16, before taking flight. Eight F-22 Raptors launched as Holloman's flagship took to the skies to continue training to maintain combat readiness.
However, the F-22 is still an old aircraft. By the time it entered service in 2005, the technology (at least in the Western Hemisphere) had already caught up with the F-22 and advanced, resulting in some of the technology present on the F-35 Lightning II, another Lockheed Martin product. Restarting the Raptor line would necessarily mean improving the F-22 beyond what it is today. The Raptor currently uses outdated computer systems from the 1980s and 1990s, which, if replaced with more modern equipment, could give the Raptor an even greater advantage than ever before. There is a possibility that technology used on the F-35 Lightning II will be carried over to the F-22, including a unique electro-optical targeting system that exponentially increases the pilot's situational awareness.
The Air Force will have to submit its findings in the form of a comprehensive report to Congress by the end of this year, including projected costs, mission requirements and an examination of how the F-22 will address the Air Force's fighter shortfalls while preserving America's air superiority. Of course, that doesn't confirm that the Raptor production line will be restarted, especially anytime soon. After the F-22 line was shut down in 2012, the templates and production tools were stored, along with digitized and physical copies of the parts production manual in case more Raptors, or at least more parts, were produced. However, finding these carefully stored tools and equipment has sometimes proved incredibly difficult. Top Air Force officials have been reluctant to speak positively about the potential to restart production of the Raptor, citing rising costs as a deterrent.
An F-22 Raptor takes off from Ämari Air Base, Estonia, on September 4, 2015, after a short deployment. The US Air Force routinely deploys aircraft and airmen to Europe for training and exercises. (U.S. Air Force photo/Technical Sergeant Ryan Crane)
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With the Air Force recently announcing that it has temporarily shelved its plans to design and build a single sixth-generation replacement for the F-15 and F-22, an improved F-22 could be the answer to the branch's woes. Mass production of the aircraft could significantly reduce costs, especially if current technologies are used in the development of the newer upgraded Raptor. Exporting Raptors to allied nations would further reduce costs, but this is currently prohibited by an act of Congress; it does not mean that the action cannot be undone. Overall, restarting the F-22 production line remains a topic worthy of study and research, and could prove to be a winning factor in helping America's effort to maintain its air superiority around the world.
Ian is the editor-in-chief. You can find his work on Military Times, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, Real Clear Defense and more. View all posts by Ian D'CostaKey Point: While considered a real possibility, the Air Force decided the project would put too much on their plate.
At the turn of the twenty-first century, the United States began production of the F-22 Raptor, the world's premier air superiority fighter—with a still-unsurpassed combination of sustained high speed, maneuverability, and undetectable stealth capabilities. Furthermore, the Pentagon planned a cheaper multirole successor for higher production, the F-35 Lightning II. However, the Air War branch had no new bombers in the pipeline after the B-2 stealth bomber was canceled with only twenty built.
So the idea arose - what if the Raptor could transform into a bomber? After all, the F-22's outstanding stealth capabilities—superior even to those of the B-2—could be useful for penetrating airspace protected by anti-aircraft missiles and enemy fighters, and its supersonic speed would certainly prove an advantage.
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However, converting the Raptor into a bomber meant adjusting two key parameters: payload and range. The basic F-22 is intended to fight frontline airspace with its 600-mile combat radius—not nearly enough for a deep-penetrating bomber that can't rely on tankers to follow it into enemy airspace. Furthermore, the Raptor's modest ground attack capability allows it to carry only four 250-pound small-diameter GPS-guided bombs inside. Another four can be carried on the wings at the expense of stealth.
When Lockheed Martin studied the concept in the early 2000s, it first considered lengthening the fuselage, but found that performance deteriorated unacceptably. Instead, the manufacturer came up with a variant that kept the fuselage largely unchanged, but featured thicker delta wings with three times the surface area of the F-22 – with the possible removal of vertical tail fins.
This proposed FB-22 could potentially carry 15,000 pounds of ammunition, or double that in non-stealth configuration, plus two AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles for self-defense. In addition, the firm promised that faceted pods in the wings would maintain the aircraft's stealth characteristics when carrying external weapons. The only major change to the fuselage from the base F-22 would be a second seat for the weapons systems officer to relieve the pilot on extra-long missions and help fire guided weapons.
The FB-22 would probably drop the fancy thrust vectoring of the F-22's jets and have a reduced tolerance of six times normal gravity, because close dogfights just weren't something a stealth bomber was going to engage in. ie it swapped out the Raptor's F119 turbofan for the more powerful F135 built for the Lightning II, allowing it to reach a top speed of Mach 1.9 despite its heavier weight. The Raptor bomber would also carry 80 percent more fuel, tripling its range to about 2,000 miles — much better than some current U.S. fighters, but still short-sighted compared to operational bombers. You can learn more technical details from Air Force Magazine's John Tirpak here.
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The resulting aircraft would revive the concept of a fast regional bomber, which had languished since the retirement of the supersonic F-111 - which, conceived in a period before stealth was a thing, was designed to avoid detection by hugging the ground at low altitude. The only recent design using a similar concept is the Russian Su-34 Fullback, an enlarged two-seat variant of the Su-27 Flanker bomber.
In 2003, Air Force Secretary James Roche proposed acquiring a force of 150 FB-22s to serve as "interim" stealth bombers until a larger new design began development in 2037. Remember, at the time the Pentagon believed it would acquire over 500 F-22 Raptors, instead of the 187 delivered before production was halted.
Lockheed proposed that Boeing, the F-22's production partner, handle the production of the FB-22 after Lockheed completes development. If this seems generous, remember that Lockheed's resources were still devoted to the development of the F-35, a troubled program that nevertheless promised to ensure the company's fortunes for decades to come.
By 2004, Lockheed had submitted six different FB-22 proposals to the Pentagon. The company estimated that the FB-22
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