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The F-22 Raptor is not What the Air Force Needs in the Future — but the Fleet Will Be Upgraded Anyway: The F-22 Raptor stealth fighter is the best air superiority fighter ever, but it is not the right tool for defending American interests in Asia.
The F-22 Raptor was first built in 1997 and it cost a whopping $335 million to produce. At the time, the powerful jet was something out of the future. It combined supercruise functionality, supermaneuverability, and sensor fusion in a single weapons platform.
The F-22 was also designed to be incredibly stealthy, with wings that aligned perfectly with its horizontal stabilizer, helping to reduce its radar signature. It was engineered to have decreased radio emissions, infrared signature, acoustic signature, and be less visible to the naked eye. This made it far superior to conventional jets.
The U.S. Department of Defense wants to upgrade the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor fleet in what could be the stealth fighter’s most significant enhancement ever.
“Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $10,863,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement & Sustainment for the F-22 Program Office,” a Department of Defense contract award announcement reads.
