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https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/no-contest-former-f-15-pilot-explains-why-f-22-raptor-unmatched-207357
August 2, 2024 Topic: military Blog Brand: The Buzz Tags:
F-22F-35F-15U.S. Air ForceAir ForceAviation
No Contest: Former F-15 Pilot Explains Why the F-22 Raptor Is Unmatched
The F-22 Raptor, the world's first fifth-generation fighter, has earned legendary status for its stealth, speed, and maneuverability since
entering service with the U.S. Air Force in 2005.
by Maya Carlin Follow Mayarcarlin on TwitterL
Summary and Key Points: The F-22 Raptor, the world's first
fifth-generation fighter, has earned legendary status for its stealth,
speed, and maneuverability since entering service with the U.S. Air
Force in 2005.
F-22
-Developed during the Cold War to counter advanced Soviet fighters, the
F-22 was designed with cutting-edge avionics and supermaneuverable
flight characteristics, making it nearly invisible to enemy radar and
highly effective in dogfights.
-Despite the introduction of the newer F-35 Lightning II, the Raptor
remains a formidable air-superiority platform, respected by pilots and
industry experts alike for its advanced sensors and combat capabilities.
F-22 Raptor: The Stealth Fighter That Redefined Air Superiority
As the world’s first-ever fifth-generation platform, the F-22 Raptor has legendary connotations. The stealthier, faster, and more maneuverable
fighter platform has wowed industry experts and aviation buffs alike
since it entered service with the Air Force several decades ago.
The workhorse of the service recently made headlines when U.S. Central
Command (CENTCOM) deployed Raptors to the Middle East in response to
Russia’s escalating provocations in the region. Although the F-35
Lightning II is newer and equipped with better technology, the Raptor
continues to serve as a formidable deterrent to America’s adversaries
across the globe.
A Brief History of the F-22 Raptor
During the later years of the Cold War, the Air Force first recognized
the need to develop an air-superiority fighter in light of the Soviet
Union’s advanced air defense systems.
Intended to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon, the new
program would be designed to go head-to-head against the USSR’s Sukhoi
Su-27 “Flanker” and Mikoyan MiG-29 “Fulcrum” fighter jets.
The Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) would have to sport cutting-edge
avionics and technologies in order to perform both offensive and
defensive counter-air operations in a highly contested environment. For
this reason, the service turned to the aerospace industry for help.
Ultimately, seven bidding teams worked collaboratively on two
demonstration prototypes, and Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney were
selected as winners. The F-22 took its first flight in the late 1990s
and officially entered service with the Air Force by 2005.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the Raptor platform is its supermaneuverable flight characteristics. The fighter’s smaller radar cross-section and twin thrust-vectoring F119 turbofan engines enable the
jet to fly undetected by enemy airframes and outclass near-peers in a
dogfight. Additionally, the Raptor’s advanced sensor suite allows its
pilot to detect, identify, and take down air-to-air threats prior to
being detected. The F-22 also packs quite the punch ordnance-wise. In
the air-to-air configuration, the F-22 can carry half a dozen AIM-120
AMRAAMS and two AIM-9 Sidewinders.
What a Former Eagle Pilot Has to Say About the Raptor
The F-22 Raptor is highly respected among aviation buffs, especially
those who have actually been able to pilot the fighter. One former
aviator even said that comparing the Raptor to its predecessors like the
F-15 Eagle is “like having two Football Teams against each other and one
of them [the Raptor] is invisible.”
In an interview with the Aviation Geek Club, former USAF pilot Mike
‘Dozer’ Shower described his experience flying the F-15 Eagle when the
F-22 first entered into service:
“In an F-15 you’re sensor operator, you’re working the radar; you’re the
guy working this all out and managing the systems and putting together
the 3D picture in your head. That’s the difference with the F-22 Raptor.
It does it all for you … you could take four weapons instructors in an
F-15 each and you could have some lieutenant who is ‘weapons clueless’
and he’s gonna find them all and kill them all. Then you put one really
good guy in an F-15 against a Raptor and he’s still gonna get killed; there’s that much of a difference in technology. It’s about sensors and training.”
F-15
Although the F-15 was the top-of-the-line jet an Air Force pilot could
hope to operate for many years, the emergence of the F-22 Raptor really showcased its limitations.
Author Biography
Maya Carlin is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a
former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has
by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest,
Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
All Images are Creative Commons.
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by Dave Majumdar
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