The F-22 Raptor represents the peak of modern military aviation, packing advanced stealth, speed, and maneuverability into one jet. Built by Lockheed Martin, this single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft is incomparable in air-to-air combat. It is currently a fighter that plays a very key role within the USAF and is the world’s premier 5th-generation fighter, combining advanced aerodynamics with avionics and stealth technology.
The cockpit of the F-22 stands witness to some engineering excellence in achieving the requirement of enabling pilots with panoramic situational awareness under high-pressure combat situations.
Some features slated on the F-22 are:
Wide Angle HUD: A system projecting critical flight information onto the pilot’s windshield, hence keeping him in touch with his surroundings without having to look down at any instrumentation.
-Large-area color MFDs: These screens display a range of data – from radar information to weapon status and navigation details.
– Integrated HMDS: This allows the pilots to monitor targets through their helmet visor and view the battlespace in 360 degrees.
– Advanced Flight Control System: Ensures high responsiveness and stability for very precise maneuvering.
Members of the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team perform in air demonstrations across the globe. Highly trained pilots fly the aircraft through a series of carefully choreographed aerial maneuvers that demonstrate the stealthy Raptor’s speed, agility, and maneuverability. Supporting the demonstration team, the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation joined with the team to provide current fighter capabilities along with the nation’s airpower heritage.
As Retired US Air Force Colonel Terry “Stretch” Scott once joked on the Fighter Pilot Podcast, “You can do anything you want with the flight controls… the original flight control input in the -1 [manual] was ‘You may fly this airplane with reckless abandon’.” Of course, this comments on the spectacular maneuverability and sleek design that have dominated the skies since the Raptor’s first flight back in 2005.
Perhaps its stealth capability is the most valuable asset of the F-22. From having a radar cross-section size no bigger than that of a bumblebee, it manages to stay almost undetectable with enemy radar systems. Its materials are designed to absorb radar; its geometry has been carefully done so that it can engage enemies beyond visual range while it stays within the envelope of stealth even upon deploying weapons.
But the Raptor’s program has been no stranger to trouble. Conceived for peer-to-peer combat during the Cold War, the geopolitical landscape changed when the Global War on Terror emerged. A fighter order of 750 was drastically reduced from the outset. Production and maintenance costs of the aircraft have also been high. The Air Force currently lists the cost of an F-22 at $143 million, versus $78 million for the more common F-35A.
Despite the above, an aging F-22 fleet has some limitations. Because targeting technology was designed in the 1990s, modularity and resilience can’t be compared with today’s systems. This is the reason why the Department of Defense announced the need for a 6th-generation fighter NGAD program to replace the F-22 with one more advanced and modular system.
Large investments in the F-22 have been undertaken in the near term to fix most of its shortcomings: newly designed, low-aspect external fuel pods and upgrades to the aircraft’s communications system have shown great promise in keeping the Raptor relevant until the next generation of air dominance is fully realized.
The F-22 Raptor is a signature of American air power, an aircraft technological marvel that continues to revolutionize air combat. A legacy of excellence coupled with ongoing upgrades ensures this aircraft will continue as a vital asset to the USAF for many years to come.