[OA5599]

According to the Air Force website the F-22 can carry 2 1000 lbs JDAMS in the ground attack mode. The F-15E can carry many more and at a fraction of the cost of an F-22. Boeing has upgraded the design to make it stealthier than older models, though not as stealthy as the F-22 it could certainly improve survivability.

First off, you only quote the internal capability of the F-22. Yes, only two 1000 lb GBU-32s. But the F-22 has four external hard points capable of 5000 lbs. That's 22,000 lbs of bombs plus it can still carry two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s. (For comparison, the F-15E can carry 24,000 lbs of ordnance total.)

That's the capability aspect. The F-22 can do everything the F-15E can do, but the not even close the other way around. Your second point was cost. Well, we know the fly away cost of more F-22s: $140 million. The cost of the latest F-15 is $100 million according to Boeing. The F-35 is not known, with estimates between $85 and $210 million each. I dunno, but I think that the F-22 is reasonably priced since it can do the job of both the F-15E and F-35, plus jobs neither of those planes can do.

[Non-Sequitur]

First off, you only quote the internal capability of the F-22. Yes, only two 1000 lb GBU-32s. But the F-22 has four external hard points capable of 5000 lbs.

Which also defeats the purpose of the stealth design. External ordinance reflect radar and make the aircraft detectable. If you're going to accept that then why not do it with a highly capable non-stealthy aircraft that can carry more ordinance and at a fraction of the cost? An F-15 or F-16 or F-18?