Posted on 09/30/2014 8:58:28 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Considered almost unbeatable in the air-to-air role, the F-22 successfully debuted in combat, taking part in air strikes against ISIS targets. But what if the F-22 found a 4th Gen. opponent? Even though we don’t know much details about them, missions flown by the F-22 Raptor over Syria marked the combat debut of the stealth jet.
As already explained, the radar-evading planes conducted air strikes against ISIS ground targets, in what (considering the 5th Generation plane’s capabilities) were probably Swing Role missions: the stealth jets flew ahead of the rest of the strike package to cover the other attack planes, dropped their Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) on designated targets, and escorted the package during the way back.
Considered that it could not carry external fuel tanks (to keep a low radar signature), the F-22 were refueled at least two or three times to make it to North Syria and back to the UAE, flying a mission most probably exceeding the 6 – 7 hours flying time.
Raptor’s stealthiness is maintained by storing weapons in internal bays capable to accomodate 2x AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, some AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles (the number depending on the configuration), as well as 2x 1,000 pound GBU-32 JDAM or 8x GBU-39 small diameter bombs: in this way the Raptor can dominate the airspace above the battlefield while performing OCA (Offensive Counter Air) role attacking air and ground targets. Moreover its two powerful Pratt & Whitney F-119-PW-100 engines gave to the fifth fighter the ability to accelerate past the speed of sound without using the afterburners (the so called supercruise) and TV (Thrust Vectoring), that can be extremely useful, in certain conditions, to put the Raptor in the proper position to score a kill.
All these capabilities have made the F-22 almost invincible (at least on paper). Indeed, a single Raptor during one of its first training sorties was able to kill eight F-15s in a mock air-to-air engagement, well before they could see it.
These results were achieved also thanks to the specific training programs which put F-22 pilots against the best US fighters jocks in order to improve their abilities to use the jet’s sophisticated systems, make the most out of sensor fusion, then decide when and to execute the correct tactic.
The Raptor has a huge advantage against its adversaries as demonstrated by the F-22’s incredible kill ratio against USAF Red Air (which play as enemy air forces during exercises) and its F-16s and F-15s, during the exercises undertaken in the last decade: for instance, during exercise Noble Edge in Alaska in June 2006, few F-22s were able to down 108 adversaries with no losses, while during the 2007 edition of the same exercise, they brought their record to 144 simulated kills.
In its first Red Flag participation, in February 2007, the Raptor was able to establish air dominance rapidly and with no losses.
As reported by Dave Allport and Jon Lake in a story which appeared on Air Force Monthly magazine, during an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) in 2008, the F-22s scored 221 simulated kills without a single loss.
Still, when outnumbered and threatened by F-15s, F-16s and F-18s, in a simulated WVR (Within Visual Range) dogfight, the F-22 is not invincible.
Apparently along with the Rafale, one aircraft which proved to be a real threat for the F-22 is the Eurofighter Typhoon: during the 2012 Red Flag-Alaska, the German Eurofighters not only held their own, but reportedly achieved several kills on the Raptors.
Even though with don’t know anything about the ROE (Rules Of Engagement) set for that training sorties and, at the same time, the outcome of those mock air-to-air combat is still much debated (as there are different accounts of those simulated battles), the “F-22 vs Typhoon at RF-A” story, raised some questions about the threat posed to the Raptor by advanced, unstealthy, 4th Gen. fighter jets.
In fact, even though these aircraft are not stealth, Typhoons are equipped with Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) systems and IRST (the Infra-Red Search and Track), two missing features on Raptors.
The Typhoon’s HMD is called Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS). Just like the American JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System) which is integrated in the U.S. F-15C/D, F-16 Block 40 and 50 and F-18C/D/E/F, HMSS provides the essential flight and weapon aiming information through line of sight imagery. Information imagery (including aircraft’s airspeed, altitude, weapons status, aiming etc) are projected on the visor (the HEA – Helmet Equipment Assembly – for the Typhoon) , enabling the pilot to look out in any direction with all the required data always in his field of vision.
The F-22 Raptor is not equipped with a similar system (the project to implement it was axed following 2013 budget cuts). The main reason for not using it on the stealth jet is that it was believed neither an HMD, nor HOBS (High Off-Boresight) weapons that are fired using these helmets, were needed since no opponents would get close enough to be engaged with an AIM-9X in a cone more than 80 degrees to either side of the nose of the aircraft.
Sure, but the risk of coming to close range with an opponent is still high and at distances up to 50 km an aircraft equipped with an IRST (Infra-Red Search and Track) system, which can detect the IR signature of an enemy fighter (that’s why Aggressors at Red Flag carry IRST pods….), could even be able to find a stealthy plane “especially if it is large and hot, like the F-22″ as a Eurofighter pilot once said.
Summing up, the F-22 is and remains the most lethal air superiority fighter ever. Still, it lacks some nice features that could be useful to face hordes of enemy aircraft, especially if these include F-15s, Typhoons, Rafales or, in the future, the Chinese J-20 and Russian PAK-FA.
David Cenciotti has contributed to this post.
Mig-31 does not have IRST, nor is it anywhere as agile as Typhoon, so it would not be expected to be an equal adversary.
The SU-35 and PAK-FA, on the other hand, both employ IRST and are stunningly agile....like "OMG....did you see THAT?????" agile.
However, few of either exist, probably zero are combat operational at this time.
So, no real threat from Russia now, but if those two are produced in quantity be prepared to lose some Raptors.
Can’t argue with that. Survivability killed by “gibmedats”.
The Mig-31 does have an IRST though I’d guess it is more optimised for an anti-bomber/cruise missile role than air superiority.
All these other gen 4 jets mentioned still cannot beat an F-15. And the plane is 40 yers old.
My bad, it’s the OLS family.
Here is an assessment of PAK FA/T-50/SU-50 from Dr Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon, Air Power Australia in 2010.
"The available evidence demonstrates at this time that a mature production PAK-FA design has the potential to compete with the F-22A Raptor in VLO performance from key aspects, and will outperform the F-22A Raptor aerodynamically and kinematically. Therefore, from a technological strategy perspective, the PAK-FA renders all legacy US fighter aircraft, and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, strategically irrelevant and non-viable after the PAK-FA achieves IOC in 2015 (now scheduled 2018)."
"Detailed strategic analysis indicates that the only viable strategic survival strategy now remaining for the United States is to terminate the Joint Strike Fighter program immediately, redirect freed funding to further the F-22 Raptor, and employ variants of the F-22 aircraft as the primary fighter aircraft for all United States and Allied TACAIR needs."
"If the United States does not fundamentally change its planning for the future of tactical air power, the advantage held for decades will be soon lost and American air power will become an artefact of history."
These are very serious guys who know what they are talking about, check out their credentials if you doubt it.
Lockheed killed their own creation for more money.
Lockheed lobbied against their own F-22 to provide more money for the F-35 because they make more money on those airplanes and the F-35 profits were in danger if the F-22 continued.
I hate Lockheed for this until I die.
All of the tooling was carefully preserved, and manufacturing processes were carefully documented both written and on video, so that the line could be reconstituted in the future if more Raptors were needed or if spare structural elements were needed for repairs.
That said, you're probably right.
How do they stack up to a Mig 35? We are going to need more F-22 in the near future.
I read a memoir by a German officer (sorry, can't recall author or title now), who had been in an anti-tank unit. He related an incident in which a column of American tanks came around a hill, one by one. His anti-tank guns knocked off each one as it came around the hill. He wrote that he knew the war was lost when his unit ran out of shells before the American unit ran out of tanks.
Yes, quantity has a quality all it's own. However, that's no excuse for fighting the kind of "dumb-rich" wars we tend to fight.
Yes, quantity has a quality all it’s own. However, that’s no excuse for fighting the kind of “dumb-rich” wars we tend to fight.
Exactly right.
Exactly — but as another poster said, the F-22 was iced because the F-35 was more profitable… and I would be surprised if the F-35 wasn't planned obsolescence. (After all, how much will the government pay to 'update' the F-35 so that it works
?)
We need to build many more.
Exactly — but as another poster said, the F-22 was iced because the F-35 was more profitable… and I would be surprised if the F-35 wasn’t planned obsolescence. (After all, how much will the government pay to ‘update’ the F-35 so that it “works”?)
At the expense of national security. Eisenhower was exactly right about the Military Industrial Complex getting out of hand.
I’m afraid we lose the next major war.
The Suchoi T-50 “PAK-FA” will have L-band radar. That will cause some problems for F-22. The F-35 is only partly stealth for X-band radar and has a hot nose due to bad aerodynamics.
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