This, among other aspects in an atmosphere of aerial warfare that is always changing, is the goal that the military forces of the world strive to achieve: air superiority. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has been considered the epitome of modern fighter technology, and its capability has hardly been disputed. Its superiority was first brought into question in a 2012 Red Flag exercise when, in a dogfighting scenario, the Eurofighter Typhoon sparked wide debate over whether the then-unbeatable Raptor was truly invincible in close-quarters dogfight scenarios.
These Red Flag exercises over Alaska are renowned for their demanding aerial combat training under realistic threats. German Eurofighter pilots would claim a symbolic victory against their American brethren, despite these being nothing more than mock dogfights. One German pilot quipped, “Lunch today was a Raptor salad.” That told the world that the Typhoon had excellent maneuverability, even against the most advanced stealth and sensor fusion avionics that the F-22 had at its disposal.
It is relevant to add that the F-22 was configured with external fuel tanks during such engagements, making it significantly less maneuverable and less stealthy. In reality, pilots with such weapons would ditch the cans before entering a dogfight. This weighted the exercises from the start and merely presented the Typhoon with an opportunity to capitalize on its strengths.
The upshot about such an engagement is that it highlights the dynamics of air combats, where even technologically superior jets can be matched and/or outperformed given the right circumstances. This enables the Typhoon to perform much more aggressive maneuvers and withstand higher G-forces due to the higher thrust-to-weight ratio and lower wing loading, actually challenging the F-22 air superiority. From these exercises, “losses”—effectively near misses of each other—being learning experiences, pilots, and engineers learn how to maximize their aircraft’s ability.
The integration of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter alongside the Raptor personalizes another degree into the tactical environment. With its data link and sensor suite, the F-35, as a force multiplier, fits with the air dominance prowess of the F-22, creating a formidable pairing against near-peer adversaries.
As the U.S. Air Force continues to evolve its fleet, encounters such as the 2012 Red Flag exercise serve as critical examinations of air combat doctrines. The moral of the story is that, while technology may be a powerful force multiplier, the human factor remains salient in determining the outcome of air battles. The legacy of the F-22 Raptor is in the technology married to the pilot flying it and the strategy that puts it into play across the vast skies.
Within the broader context of the latest fighter jets, competition in air superiority is indeed very stiff. The F-35 has been presented as the prime example of the United States’ fifth-generation fighter development because of the overt, unrivaled stealth features, sensor fusion, and advanced radar of the F-35A Lightning II. Developmental problems were initially noted for the F-35, but it is now in its export success—cost going down; deficiencies ironed out—as more countries order these jets.
Other key competitors developing fifth-generation fighter jets are the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 Felon, Chinese Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, and South Korean KAI KF-21 Boramae. The specific capabilities of each have stealth, radar, and power performance from the wide variety of aircraft under development.
Next will be sixth-generation jets developed for the future: NGAD, FCAS, and Tempest. At the same time, advanced current-generation fighter jets, with their speed, firepower, stealth, and maneuverability, seem to master both air-to-air and air-to-ground scenarios.
Ultimately, triumph in air battle is arguably not about technical superiority alone but about who can apply it most effectively with some of the best pilots and sound strategic doctrines. This dialectical relation between technology and human ingenuity will go on to determine the future of aerial combat.