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And they have repeatedly succeeded in doing so, perhaps most notably when China used cyber espionage and an insider source to get a hold of the F-35, F-22, and C-130 blueprints in 2016.Īnd exports of military aircraft have backfired in the past. to advance their own military and private industries. SUPREMACYĬhina and Russia are always eager to steal technology from the U.S. To date, the U.S remains the leader in stealth aviation technologies the world over.Īn F-22 Raptor fire an AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missile (). As such, it was packed with classified technology and produced through advanced production methodologies that the United States would rather keep close to the chest. military aircraft, the F-22 was never designed to be exported. In 1998, Congress even voted for an amendment that explicitly forbids the sale of F-22 Raptors to foreign nations.
Over the years, Israel, Japan, and Australia had repeatedly asked the Pentagon about potential purchases of the F-22 Raptor, but every time they were shot down. In 2011, the last Raptor rolled off the production line, and Lockheed Martin cannibalized its production line to support the F-35. Although current operational numbers are classified, it wouldn’t be irrational to assume that fewer than 100 F-22s are combat-ready at any given time, and every time a Raptor flies, it’s one less time it will fly in the future because of the lack of spare parts.
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As a result, today, the Raptor is a bird facing extinction. Of the 186 F-22 Raptors delivered to the Air Force, only about 130 were ever operational. Related: WHAT COMES AFTER AFGHANISTAN, FROM A FORMER SEAL AND CIA OFFICER Two F-22 Raptors flying in formation (Lockheed Martin). And in that regard, the F-22 Raptor must be one of the “unluckiest” aircraft of all time because, despite its phenomenal capabilities, it came into service at a time when there was no enemy for it to fight, despite the nation having no shortage of enemies. military was fighting a two-front war with seemingly no end, against an irregular enemy in Afghanistan and Iraq.Īs the Pentagon was pouring trillions into the Global War on Terror (GWOT), the F-22’s air superiority and stealth attributes went wasted against an enemy that could hardly dress its troops in the same uniform, let alone field fighter jets or advanced surface-to-air missile systems or radar.īut while utility attracts money, current threats determine utility. The F-22 entered service at a time when the U.S. As in many cases involving humans, and as Mark Knopfler of the Dire Straits famously quipped, it seems it was that the timing was wrong. With an operational ceiling of 50,000 feet and a range of almost 1,900 miles (with two external fuel tanks that would limit its stealth capabilities), the F-22 can fly at speeds above Mach 2.ĭespite the aircraft’s great characteristics, the F-22 program was short-lived.
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Related: COULD THE F-22’S COMPETITOR HAVE BEEN A BETTER AIRCRAFT? The aircraft can carry a considerable loadout within it, thus ensuring stealth (). A rare view inside the F-22’s internal weapons bay.