The F-22A Raptor was described as the most excellent air superiority fighter that ever was, the maximum in its class; yet the actuality of the partial existence given to it opened up possibilities of what may have become a game-changer in modern aerial warfare.
Though it possessed unmatched capabilities, due to the reasons of rationing along with sheer strategic decisions, much fewer units than anticipated were handed down to the U.S. Air Force’s coffers.
Earlier, it was supposed to be the only ace of the U.S. Air Force with a target production volume of 750 units, but the financial crisis that hit in 2008, along with the subsequent budgets by President Obama, resulted in an early close of the production line with only 186 aircraft delivered to the customer.
This was mainly because of the considerations of a high cost related to the high-end technology of the Raptor and no cost-sharing system with the allied nations.
Not to be confused with the Superman of fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the F-22A Raptor is something like Michael Jordan over in the basketball world; advanced avionics and stealth capabilities that make it so difficult to track.
Its state-of-the-art technology made it a giant slayer in the dogfight. Of course, in limiting the Raptor’s distribution to only that of the U.S. military, these costs were extremely high and brought about its eventual cancellation in contrast to the more openly distributed program surrounding the F-35.
The major challenge with F-22s is that there is not enough in store for the major conflicts. The complexity of the Raptor makes the revival of the production line a tiring and costly affair.
The dispersal of human capital and the disintegration of the supply chain add to the problems while trying to revive the program. Hence, the U.S. Air Force would have to just make do with the number of aircraft it currently has, and such an aircraft inventory is not sufficient for a long-term major power conflict.
The F-22 was first flown in 1997, and subsequently developed from the Lockheed YF-22. On December 15, 2005, it was declared operational as the F-22A.
Although the aircraft program had some operational debut issues, it turned out to be a favorite platform for air-to-air missions against peer adversaries. The aircraft has been used in strike and electronic surveillance missions in the Middle East against the Islamic State and Assad-aligned forces.
The exclusivity of the F-22 to the U.S. International cooperation and cost-sharing helped the F-35 save some dollars, but the Air Force received most of the costs in this program because all three partnered forces were involved in the program: the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, not to forget several foreign allies.
The program took a few survival steps in its cost-cutting mechanisms in order not to go under the 2008-2009 financial crisis, but it still is trying to pass much of the burden to taxpayers. By contrast, the F-22 was an Air Force-only project. It had no foreign funding, nor burden-sharing of costs.
Today, with these near-peer rivals across Eurasia, the need for advanced air superiority fighters like the F-22 is perhaps more critical than at any other time. A string of tests conducted by the U.S. military proved that deployment of F-22 Raptors could prove the difference in favor of America. However, a limited quantity of Raptors ensures that operations must be controlled in terms of deployment with replacements only available in case of loss in a combat situation.
Still, the F-22A Raptor is the darling of what might have been a dominant or at least a large force for modern aerial warfare. Advanced capability and technology make this an asset to its owner, but the financial and strategic mistakes of the past have stranded the U.S. Air Force at the reduced fleet size.
As budgetary pressures continue to shrink the U.S. defense budget, future weapons development will likely have to take on the shared cost and international partnership profile of the F-35 program.