At 20 Years Old, the F-22 is Still King of the Skies
The F-22A fighter first took to the skies in 1997, ushering in a new age in jet fighters and inspiring a host of imitators. Twenty years later the Raptor is still king of the skies. But the fighter-which the U.S. Air Force intends to keep in service until 2060-is also due for a series of important upgrades to make sure it remains viable.
The F-22A Raptor was originally designed as a replacement for the F-15C Eagle. It was designed from the ground up as a the first of what would be a fifth generation of post-World War II fighters (the fourth generation being including planes such as the F-16 and F/A-18). Indeed, its characteristics including the ability to cruise at Mach 1.5 without afterburners, a high degree of stealth, and advanced weapons and avionics went on to define the entire category.
While the Raptor is at the very top of the heap, it won't stay there forever. The Pentagon originally ordered 750 Raptors, but in the end bought less than 200. The fighter is also missing a number of technological innovations developed since its introduction, including advanced networking capabilities allowing it to share data with other U.S. military aircraft and the ability for the pilot to target infrared guided missiles such as the AIM-9X Sidewinder at enemies simply by pointing his or her helmet at them.
The F-22 fleet has received a small number of updates, and a major "Mid-Life Update" is scheduled for the 2024 time frame. This will be a considerably more involved refresh of hardware and software, and should add more capabilities including the infrared Helmet Mounted Cueing System.
Even so, that 2024 update is a hostage to the defense budget. The Air Force will need to come up with the necessary funding while simultaneously paying for the F-35 fighter, KC-46 Pegasus tanker, B-21 Spirit stealth bomber, T-X jet trainer, and Ground Based Strategic Deterrent nuclear missile. And around the same time, the service wants to start fielding the F-22's eventual replacement, Penetrating Counter Air, which would require large amounts of R&D spending in the decade beforehand.
Read more at FlightGlobal
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