Never forget all of the Russians who abused children and their families in Ukraine. From the mass graves (in Izium) to the stolen children. Now if parents don't become Russian citizens and go to flight against their brothers and cousins Russia will take their newborn children at birth. Speaking of Izium. What did those 414 people see? The Russians thought it was better to murder them and bury them all in a mass grave instead of letting them testify. Whatever they saw must have been truly horrific. If Russia want's to sign a treaty they must first prove they will stand by one. If Russia wants to negotiate, start with your original written agreement. Pull back all of their troops back behind their original boarder and then you can start negotiations. If they don't show they will honor the original agreement how can you expect them to honor any further agreements. It's our war to lose. Russia can NOT win. Unless we choose to not support Ukraine of course. It is on us in the global West to pick the world we want to live in. Choose wisely. Thanks. Glory to Ukraine. God Bless Ukraine and her people. 🇺🇦🇺🇸
In my opinion we are going to war sooner than later. We need to get our countries finances in order and secure our border so our money can be applied to out weapon systems and infrastructure. So build the next gen fighter, drone, tanks, and ships etc etc. Also I believe we should be allowing older Men to enlist if they wish to serve and can do the job. If they are physically fit and want to be there let them in list. They bring life skills & experience with the and will also help with younger recruits. Even if there was a program to do this in all branches of the reserves so we can have a larger force at the ready.
its obsolete bc of the retarded costs involved in making and maintaining it. Which is why the b52 is still kicking bc its stupid reliable and has very little down time and basically costs almost nothing to loose or run.
I know this is random, but the United States lost their last triple fighter ace of world war 2. Brigadier General Bud Anderson. The man shot down 16 planes during world war 2, and flew along with the legend Chuck Yeager. Rest in peace Bud Anderson.
Point of clarification: they wanted to retire only the oldest raptors because they were not built in the same configuration as the majority of the fleet and it was going to be really expensive to bring them up to standard config. Also, they didn't go from wanting to retire the raptor fleet to upgrading it, they went from paying for the upgrades with the money saved by retiring the early production tails, to just inflating the budget even more/pulling money away from ngad.
I like how America openly debates pros and cons of anything military related, whereas China and Russia: "Our ____ is perfection, the best thing ever, and can realign the planets."
I think that's what makes western militarys superior. Problems are discussed and addressed. Look at Russia, their leadership believed their own propaganda about it's military and then Ukraine happened. Not that the Russian military isn't capable but knowing ones shortcomings helps to compensate.
That's why it was funny when he showed the Su-57 "Pipedream" as a threat. I get China is working on things with tech they stole from us, but Russian computer graphics and props that rust in the rain without electronics aren't exactly impressive.
Name one thing or weapon that China has said is the best thing ever and better than usas. You can't name one except the ones that actually ARE superior, like certain hypersonic missiles. And that's mainly American generals etc who are saying it's superior. It's Americans who say China is a peer competitor, not China. Chinese don't brag or talk and are humble. It's Americans who's motto is Americans exceptionalism or America fuck yeah. Chinese let their actions do the talking otherwise they wouldn't even talk.
@@ex0duzz hyper sonic missiles are their claims but they haven't proved the capability. They claim the J20 is better then the g22 and f35 so yes they overplay their hand, not as bad as the Russians though
F22's will likely be retired once NGAD's are deployed en mass. F22 upgrade is just supposed to be a stop gap so America doesn't have its pants down if China decides to invades Taiwan before a significant amount can be built to counter.
@@floofy5529 Floofy is correct, it's to catch the F22 with recent advances. Missiles are catching up to with the AIM-260. I hope the NGAD is a combination of the F22/F35. Just because most engagements will be BVR, it doesn't mean the enemy can push into WVR. Making the same mistake that we did in Vietnam and didn't have guns. Granted, they are more advance and accurate now but nothing is 100%
@@gld1010 the guns myth isn’t really all that true though The issue wasn’t the lack of guns but rather a lack of training with missiles After Top Gun was established, naval aviators were slaughtering the enemy with missiles and did better than the USAF pilots Technology always wins BUT it REQUIRES solid training and tactics too
I love when people say “The F22 is too old and too technologically deficient to keep in service; and the upgrades cost too much,” and then say “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with upgrading the F15 and F16 platforms and keeping them in the air until the 2050s,” when both of those first flew while we still had troops in Vietnam… Don’t get me wrong, the F15 and F16 are both legendary. But don’t tell me the F22 from 1997 is too old while the F15 and F16 first flew when rotary-dial phones were still a thing. FOH.
It makes more sense to just replace them with F-35s, though. Those are way more cost effective. F-22s are only marginally better at dogfighting while being many times more expensive. Meanwhile, F-35s can also replace strike aircraft, further bolstering their numbers. 2-3000x F-35s are just better than 700x F-22s at air superiority, while simultaneously offering far superior ground strike capabilities.
@@Dubanx The F-22 is only expensive because they canceled more then 2/3rds of the orders and blcoked it from export 750 orders to under 200 produced, the 35 costs less because they're making more then 15 times as many aircraft. Not to mention its a stealth aircraft thats not stealth when carrying air to ground ordenence and it cant even carry a lot so they're trying to extend the F-15 and F-16 life spans while simutaniously building more of them. The only thing the 35 has going for it is the Electronics suite and even then there's a chance the plane doesnt react to the pilots input upon landing which has been noted not only by pilots but by the plane itself in 3 or 4 crashes.
If you're talking about simple deadliness, no high-end fighter jet is not deadly, on pure speed and the ability to carry deadly missiles, even those from the rotary phone era. The F-15 is as powerful and fast as the F-22; and the latter could shoot down all current high end jets that the Russians and Chinese CURRENTLY have. (.... The reason we know the J-20 is not anywhere near the capability of the F-22 is the same reason we know the South Koreans cars, of the 1990s, were NOWHERE near the quality and sophistication of Japanese, American, and Western European cars of the 1990s.... It takes a few DECADES to catch up to people who've been building some specialized thing for MANY DECADES before you got started....) But we are talking about having AN EDGE over a "near-peer" competitor... We are talking about "RELATIVITY"... If you flew the mighty F-22 against the mid-size, mid-range (in the sphere of physicality) F-35, the mighty F-22 WILL BE SHOT DOWN. It doesn't matter how people who worship the mighty F-22 proclaim it is "the most deadly" fighter jet ever built. The F-35's computational and data processing capabilities are up to 30 times superior to the 1990s F-22. Some historical perspective: when the first 4 Cray Super Computers were made available to public research universities in the US, late 1980s/early 1990s --- one came to my alma mater, in San Diego; and the university had to build a giant 2-storie building to house & to cool it ---- the fastest super computational speeds were in the 3 to 5 G-FLOPS. Today, most of your high-end CELL PHONES could do up to the one T-FLOPS range. TECHNOLOGICALLY --- computationally, data link capability, avionics, "user sensor" (how the F-22 still operate with a helmet made for ANALOG screen), radar, etc --- the mid-range F-35 is about 25 years ahead of the mighty dog-fighting/interceptor F-22 from the 1990s. Anyway, HIGH-END MISSILES ---- both the smaller air to air missiles fighter jets carry and the much larger and faster ground to air they have ---- from all advanced nations don't really care how fast all high-end aircraft fly. You unknowingly fly a giant aircraft (Mach 1.5, Mach 2.5, etc) into a volley of Patriots, S-400, etc. and your chances of dying are very high.... because most high end air to air missiles travel between Mach 4 and Mach 6 and some high end ground to air missiles travel over Mach 10.
@@kiabtoomlauj6249f22 has double the radar range of f35. It has thrust vectoring. Better stealth by almost double over f35. The f22 Caries more missiles. And has supercruise. F35 was a cheap f22. The f22 would wipe any f35 from the sky. And why the military kept it top secret unlike f35.
Thank you for using so much footage from Growling Sidewinder to demo jets on your content in general, his content is some of the best out there in the flight sim space, and he has more simulated hours in some of these jets than actual pilots. Glad to see my boy succeeding with his content as much as he is. Just a big fan who wants to see him get more subs (and sponsor money) so he can afford to spend more time making videos for us.
Considering the number of conflicts around the world right now, I would think keeping the Raptor is a no-brainer. Our pilots are already lethal with the Raptor.
They're not lethal with jack right now, aside from dropping uncontested ordnance on random hajjis in Syria and Iraq it's never been tested or been so much as NEAR an enemy plane or up against a testworthy AA system You have literally zero clue how it would perform in the wild
Good point about pilot experience on the platform! I honeslty hadnt even considered that, but the NGAD is going to be going thru teething problams for years and the train up. You mention a very serious consideration I, and no doubt others had not even considered. LOL, I know. Its rare on YT to find anyone that says "I was wrong" or "Man, great point and I hadnt thought about that!" This is YT History Spicywater. Have a good day
Shutting down the F-22 production line was a mistake that is on par with the Littoral Combat Ship program. Short sighted and naive cost savings strategies that didn’t pan out.
@@ZOV24-2-22Nah, the lessons learned from them will be worth their weight in gold in future warship design. Besides, I heard that the ones built are being considered to be converted into hypersonic missile cruisers.
@@bowencreer3922F-35 was meant to operate with the F-22. The Raptor would sweep the sky while Fat Amy would sweep ground defense and strike targets. If the F-35 on its own was adequate, the USAF wouldn’t see the need to buy the F-15EX.
@@bowencreer3922 ya but its a multi role strike fighter.. our doctrine as always been to have a high end interceptor like the f14 15 and 22 and strike fighters usually more of a economic work horse. think f 16 and 18 they work well together. that decision left us with the f15 being our front line interceptor while its pushing 60 years old also it left us with few than 200 raptor for years before the f35 ever flew it was a short sighted cost saving measure. It also drove up the price of spare parts being that there are few of them. on top of all that it increases the use of each airframe making them fatigue rapidly.
Reassign F-22's into the Wild Weasel role when NGAD comes on line? Decent stealth, incredible maneuverability. Lower availability may not be a huge problem for such a specialized role.
Fun fact: any supersonic object will have it's leading edges heat up due to air friction. The addition of advanced IR targeting pods may be a feature to deal with a possible stealth opponent.
They already have thermal targeting and missiles that use thermal targeting. Stop using fun fact especially when you don't know what you are talking about, friction heats up everything not just the edges of the wings but do you know what is hotter? Engine exhaust at over 1k degrees.
@@thomgizziz Yes, close in missiles like the sidewinder are allready thermal they use a single pixel that they keep on target and operate the servos on the flaps if the target goes off that single pixel. It does not however have the resolution to spot a 50 degree heat difference from 100 km away. and how much of that exhaust heat is visible from the sides and front? There's a reason the F35 and F22 have their engines combustion chamber after the compressor fan tucked in deep and their speed limited when performing stealth operations. As for the friction part, yes the effect is that pronounced on the point of highest air resistance, namely the leading edge, don't believe me? study the layout of the ablative paneling on the space shuttle's heat shields for reentry. there's a reason they protect the nose and underside but not the cockpit glass.
IRST is important because it provides passive tracking. Radar emissions can be seen by your target. IRST allows you to target an enemy without the enemy knowing.
Even if there are some older 22's that don't have all the new bells and whistles, that sounds like they need to be moved into training positions, to free up the ones currently being used for training to be moved into fighting squadrons. Yes the pilots will eventually need to train in the newer 22's but getting their feet wet on these older air-frames will keep the hrs down on newer air-frames. No point is dumping the older planes when they can play a role in keeping the newer planes ready for battle.
The problem is that a lot of the Raptors that won't get the upgrade isn't due to cost. But a little bit of right to repair with lack of schematics for a few of the items and they have been victims of one of the WORST enemies out there that attacks and can kill any craft, both civilian and military, and can't be shot down. Rust / Corrosion... there are images out there where you can see the front of the canopy heavily rusted, and when you see the rust, it is usually a lot worse underneath. With the schematics gone, getting replacement parts is difficult, and the cost to fix would exceed developing something new, which is why the older ones are vanishing.
The really important upgrade is bringing the electronics suit up to F-35 standards. Sensor fusion & interoperability would bring the F-22 into a state that there would be very little that could come close to threatening it.
A way more accurate and prescient statement than the tone it was delivered. Even the in the 1400s and 1500s, Sword Masters were writing about sword combat, acknowledging how important distance, time and range were to a fight. It is an element as old as time.
@@scratchy996I think people's brain were more specialized and thus, focussed on important informations for their daily lives. People nowadays have access to all the information in the world and can't stay focused on one thing at a time. Now we need AI to compensate. Simpler people in simpler times.
Like guam, kadena (okinawa), misawa, yokota, osan, or another Allie nation. I still remember when raptors first showed up at kadena, along with patriot batteries. And the protestors and their raptor go home signs.
I like the range graph but it should be pointed out that the F-22 isn't carrier based. They have to take off and land in ally countries or be air refueled.
@@TheRealAaronSmith it is limited to specific airfields in the region. I'm not sure "infinite" is the right word when there are humans on board or the mission is time sensitive.
@@IndigoSierra pretty well, yep. Assuming you have the logistics to support a 24/7 refueling schedule across multiple points of the world. Which the US has. At least in theory, maybe not in current practice.For some time now, the limiting factor has been pilot endurance. We need to eat, drink, sleep, and relieve ourselves eventually, and those issues can only be mitigated for so long on an aircraft.
Upgrading the F22 is a better choice than canning it and going for the 6th Gen straight away. A new 6th Gen functional prototype is at least a decade in the future. The F22 is a perfectly functional machine available right now, you can refit the plane with some of the tech of the F35 making it more integrated. It is already hyper stealthy, engines can be upgraded, avionics as well. You have an excellent interceptor/air superiority fighter and the F35 is the multipurpose aircraft, the gaps in the airspace is thus filled right now, instead of waiting 10 - 15 years for the first prototypes to roll out.
As expensive as the F-22 is to operate and as expensive as it would be to upgrade them, this is still vastly less expensive than NGAD and deliverable about a decade sooner. The most likely timeframe for a major war with a near peer adversary is highest from now to a decade from now. NGAD will not be able to help with such a conflict at all and will seriously degrade the capability of current forces for such a conflict by diverting funds to the future and sacrificing near term modernizations.
other people dont realize that this is also a way to have a 5th gen test out tech for the NGAD this has been publicly stated by the airforce... the drop tanks will end up being used on the NGAD, IR tracking is planned for the NGAD so might as well test it on the F22
I’ve been curious about the weapon bay doors. Why couldn’t they slide open like pocket doors into the fuselage, instead of like closet doors that are less stealthy?
Based on that briefing slide, the AIM-260 is insanely good (and will probably have an insane price to match). The seeker with multi-band IR, RADAR *and* laser guidance plus gimbaling to broaden search/lock off-boresight will be impervious to just about any countermeasure. Ring laser gyro INS (a spectacular piece of technology that deserves its own video) means fantastic accuracy even without GNSS. And the thrust-vectoring restartable booster... flip. This thing is crazy.
IRST also means you don't need to turn your radar on,. Emitting a radar signal makes you detectable. An IRST doesn't emit anything. The F-14D could use its IRST to very good effect.
I distinctly remember when the F-22 was first announced that the word "modularity" was very prominent in all descriptions of the aircraft. They claimed that "future upgrades would be easy and cheap" because of the "advanced modularity" of the aircraft systems. Of course, this unicorn like "modularity" has been touted for almost all military systems since the move from bronze weapons to iron. The only system in which it has proven to be even somewhat true is the M-16/M-4 combat rifle system.
Fun fact: The F-22 is actually designated the F/A-22 according to official designations and AFSC codes. I learned this when making some decisions mid-career.
@@baronvonslambert I was an 11FxF and when I was exploring an opportunity, I worked with people and the documentation I had in 2013 said 11FxJ F/A-22. I've never dropped bombs so I asked about the F/A designation and if shacking targets was part of the B school and whatnot. I got varied answers as to why it's officially the F/A but consensus was so that congress would pay for it and 'multirole' is more attractive to drop billions on than single mission. I stayed an 11FF and went to weapon school instead of switching jets mid-career, mostly because Raptors were asphyxiating pilots at the time and I was like 'no thanks' on what was a deadly defect (since fixed of course).
My understanding of the new stealth fuel drop tanks and pylons for the F-22 is that BOTH the drop tanks AND pylons drop away from the aircraft when not needed, maintaining the original stealth characteristics of the F-22.
You don’t cut the best air to air jet from your tires inventory cause you want to be cheap. Who knows when the 6th Gen fighter they are developing will finally come out. So do what you need to give the Raptor its upgrades to help improve its modern avionics and sensors.
@@redrockengineer There could be delays, but the main thing is that 2030 is a really long way away when war with China could start practically at any time. If the war starts before NGAD can take over, then the F-22 is going to be our air superiority aircraft. Though probably if war looks likely they'll just keep the F-22 around a bit longer.
Honestly, as a resident of Long Island, I can tell you that that really helped me wrap my brain around the distance the Long Island comparison I think you should keep that😂
yeah, and conversely it works by using a low-bypass engine engine that performs more like a turbojet than a turbofan, which also makes it less fuel efficient because the bypass ratio is half that of the engines on the F-35, F-15, or F-16
The Air Force was compelled to keep the Raptor by Congress because the AF had squandered billions on a aircraft they suddenly called “obsolete” and wanted more money for a clean sheet design.
the F-22 is a compromise design to placate the fighter mafia, built around supermanuverability. But classic dogfights haven't been a thing since Vietnam.
@@MrRinoHunter Lockheed gets plenty for a new design. The F-35 cost $1.2 trillion and they say it still needs reworking, like a second engine. Lockheed wins either way.
Upgrading the electronic warfare package and the communications and data is the right move but i think everyone has forgotten what the purpose of the raptor is: dogfighting. In their obsessive focus on beyond visual range engagements the planners are mistakenly assuming that highly maneuverable and capable interceptors wont be needed anymore at closer ranges and that simply isnt the case. Missles and satellites rely on systems that can and will be disrupted as countermeasures become more capable and unforseen circumstances arise. Having manual control and close in dogfighting capabilities still present at least as a backup is essential. THAT is why raptor needs to stay, for redundancy to fill its design niche of being the best dogfighter in the world.
I think there's a few issues with how the missiles were displayed. As far as I understood, sidewinder were carried, ironically, in the side bays, where AMRAAMs or whatever would be in the belly. I don't see how or why they'd switch them around, just to have 2 sidewinders in that huge belly bay that can hold 6 AMRAAMs and 2 in the nose on top of that? Weird.
Have you people ever seen a photo of the F22 it has a side door on each side for the aim-9 seperate from the big missile bay just google f22 missile bays open
That quote from the General is about specific models of the Raptor. The ones slated for practical and quick upgrades are later variants. The early models aren't going to get upgraded in the new plan. Further, the upgrades will happen far sooner than mass availability of NGAD. You're also making a false choice fallacy, the US can have both in service at once while phasing out the Raptors as they become less viable and the NGAD becomes more prolific. I feel like this gets lost quite often in reductive analysis. The prime example is the 15EX, which can provide useful supplemental capability to 5th and 6th gen platforms in addition to having powerful electronic attack capabilities that can't be understated. Just as infantry have guys at the front and artillery and support in the rear, so too will the USAF be using mixed platforms especially now that new AA weapons are deployable alongside datalink handoff. The problem is that the rest of the USAF, including the Eagle II have more capability to participate in this kind of mixed platform engagement than the most stealthy aircraft the US has. Because of this, the EX and 35 have diminished capacity because the 22 creates a gap in total force capability. In other words, it's stealthy and can line up the shots for everyone else but can't get the information to the players who need it.
A stealth "tank killer" or ground support aircraft would be so dope... and we could test it as a drone RIGHT NOW in a certian conflict where an ally doesnt have air dominance... seems like a necessity for near peer conflics where getting air superiority might not be quick or even possible...
U.S. Air Force: "How can we make the deadliest jet fighter in modern history deadlier?" Lockheed Martin: "Hold our beer." "Jim. Call the grim reaper. We have work to do."
The thing they're not saying out loud is the numbers game, Chinese is ramping out a lot of military hardware right now, so from this to buying a bunch of new F15's, the USA is trying to ramp up its own military hardware volume.
I remember a war game a while back. The US vs china. The givens were that every missile china fired missed. Every missile the US fired hit. The US lost. We didn't have enough planes/missiles. The Chinese fighters then took out all of our AWACS and tankers.
@@dave4882 I suppose the distances involved will severly reduce availability of US jets near china. China has a natural advantage there. Even if you could 100% stopgap the fuel issue with tankers, the pilots cant stay in the air forever in some narrow fighter cabin. They're out of the game while they're making the long way back.
@@dave4882 Its just war games, scenario's in rl are vastly different. Otherwise you had that one war game where you put a US general with a bunch of ragtag iraq's and they achieve the same shit, killing seals, destroying destroyers and carriers etc. Basically put, impossible scenario's or just incredibly cheating. Its a good way to learn
@Battl3Cry My point was basically that a few super weapons. No matter how good they are, will not win against a bunch of less than super weapons. Essentially, that's why the f16 exists.
825 mile range puts flying out of the Philippines, the southern area of S. Korea, and Japan as covering all of China's coast, covering the Taiwan' skies from the north and south bases, and thoroughly covering the skies of where most of China's population, industry, and political power resides off of the Yellow Sea and in provinces bordering Beijing.
@@huayan601 hi Little Pink. Our aircraft get upgrades since we spend most of our military budget on an actual military. We also outspend every military in the world. That isn't in a direct comparison. That's combined. So, add up what every country in the world spends on their military and the US beats that amount every year by a notable percentage. This has been reduced after the Cold War ended, but that also involved standing down the amount of forces as well since the USSR wasn't a thing anymore. A large chunk of that budget has always been on research and development. I know that new ideas and making them into new, manufactured technologies is a foreign concept in China, but we research things and then turn them into working weapons systems that actually work on the battlefield, not just on paper because we don't like sending our soldiers to just die. Fighter pilots and their planes are really expensive, so we like them to not die so easily. Tank crews are the same thing, earlier war. So we upgrade our planes when it makes sense because the tech ends up getting cheap enough and the plans for the logistics and procurement plans fit it. Since Russia and the CCP want to keep saber rattling, just upgrading the F-22 to a more offensive role so it can strike in the Pacific theater makes logistical sense.
@@KnightsWithoutATable You are a aggressive guy. It is not without reason that we Chinese call the United States a paper tiger. The United States has always bullied the weak and feared the strong, and only dared to bully weak countries. You have forgotten the lessons of the Korean War. Do you think China is still the same as before? Ask your generals if they dare to use force against us. Your huge military expenditure has gone into the pockets of the military-industrial complex and politicians. We can surpass you in the near future with one-third of your military expenditure. You must remember that China is the only country that can challenge your American hegemony, but we do not want to treat the United States as an enemy. We never discuss going to war with you. Since you want to treat us as an enemy, we must be a qualified enemy. You don’t understand at all that your elites are actually afraid to fight us, because once you lose, your hegemony will no longer exist. Remember history, you have never won in Asia, don’t repeat the same mistakes and fight a wrong war at the wrong time and in the wrong place.
@@huayan601 Never won in Asia? The Japanese would like to remind you World War 2 took place and they lost to the US and China, not to China alone. Your fight with them was but one front among the entirety or the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. A logistical nightmare to invade and defend. Korea was ended by the North and South coming to a cease fire agreement, not because anyone was winning or losing. Vietnam was ended because the US lost public support for the war and had the bulk of it's military tied up facing off against the USSR in case World War 3 was started, so that wasn't a full force war. It was also over a country that didn't matter. Never discuss going to war with us? Have you looked at your propaganda? Seriously, look at it. You want to go to war. As for asking our military if they are confident about going to war with China. Oh yes, they are confident that they can keep you sealed behind the first island chain, especially with the geography, your current military, your current economy, and current technological gap. They have been planning to be ready to fight Russia and China ever since the rhetoric and propaganda out of those countries turned hostile towards the US and allies of the US and they started backing out of treaties limiting weapons or building up their military. That's just good defense policy. We don't want to have a war as that is wasteful and kills a lot of people, but we aren't going to shy away from it. I can share a little secret with you about the West over China and Russia: we actually under report our readiness, quantity, and capabilities of our military. What you see on the declassified documents is less than what is actually able to be used when the generals want to do something. Don't believe me? The F-117 and B-2 bomber were completely classified until they were used in war and couldn't be kept hidden any longer. That is a full set of aircraft developed, manufactured, and capable on the battlefield that not even the Soviet KGB knew existed, let alone what they could do, which was pretty dangerous to the enemy since it ruined defense strategies. So you should take that into account about the number and quality of US weapon systems. They aren't invulnerable, but they are very advanced and are built at scale for facing large enemies with a large depot size. When the headlines in the media said we were running out of artillery shells in NATO to send to Ukraine, that was the spares. We still had our stockpile in case WWIII started. We did learn that our stockpile was probably too small for a prolonged war, so we are upping manufacture, which is something we can do for high tech and military items very well. As for China out pacing the US on defense production. That isn't going to happen even when you factor in price parity between the two countries. You also lack the stockpile size that we already have sitting. You also lack any combat experience, especially in your officer core and commanders. That does not bode well for actual combat. Inexperience officers often make really bad decisions in combat of freeze up, getting troops killed. Generals without experience will send forces on missions that don't work. Troops will run or hide when combat or even just shelling starts. They also tend to just not fight as hard as veterans since the task of combat is new to them. As for production, it's about economy size at that point and technology. Sure, you can make a lot more ballistic and cruise missiles that the US can. They are highly inaccurate and prone to failure. They are also very vulnerable to first strikes and targets of opportunity, along with simply getting intercepted, which the US has demonstrated they have excellent capabilities to do. Building small ships for your navy isn't going to let you swarm the larger vessels of a carrier group. They are just not capable of carrying the weapon systems with enough range and in the quantities to be a threat. As for your air force, well, pilot training is the first issue, pilot autonomy when in combat is the other. The quality of your aircraft is the other issue, but what is really the problem is just how much of a line you have to cover with them. That is a very long coast with very vital ports and military installations that all need defending. You don't have the planes and SAM systems to cover all of it against steal aircraft. Radar ranges are shortened, effectively, when facing stealth aircraft, so this leaves gaps in coverage. Yes, you can use bands of radar that can see steal aircraft, but they only give you a rough location, so you aren't shooting them down using that. It would let you have a chance to track a cruise missile released by one, you would think, but here's the problem with that: we have stealth cruise missiles. That's declassified info. They work so-so against the best Russian radars and SAM systems, so it takes several to hit the target, but we also have a stockpile of 5000 or more of them, depending on the model, last I checked, with more being built this year for the new, longer range, more stealthy model. Then you have Rapid Dragon and what Boeing announced yesterday. Rapid Dragon allows a C-130 (12 missiles) or a C-17 (45 missiles) to push special pallets of cruise missiles out the back of the plane and then launch the cruise missiles. For hitting the front line and second line of targets, this puts the cargo planes hundreds of miles from the front line where they would normally be for running cargo and out of harms way, but well within launching distance for striking. There are hundreds of these planes in service with the US Air Force and all of them can do this. They can also launch drones (multiple kinds), JADAM bombs (need air superiority for this one) and sea mines. That last one likely includes the kind of mines that the US admiral warned the PLA about that could turn the Strait of Taiwan into a deathtrap full of killer drones. A new sea mine that sits around and doesn't arm until it senses the sound of a known target vessel, then it attacks it. That would allow for a rapid coverage of the whole area in a matter of probably a few days and flights well before the PLA had even gotten all their assets into the area. That kind of puts a hamper on invasion plans for Taiwan when you can't sail through there but US subs and ships can, mainly the subs. Anything that doesn't get hit by a mine gets torpedoed, but your antisubmarine ships can't go in to hunt the sub since the mines will target and destroy them. Your mine clearing ships can't start clearing the mines because the subs will torpedo them. Your subs can't go in because of the mines as well along with the issue of sub on sub warfare just not working to hit each other. (there has been a total of one kill from sub on sub warfare in all of history) You see how it isn't fear, but just not wanting to see senseless death and urging a diplomatic solution? We would rather not have to develop these weapons. We would rather be doing business with you like we were before, but the CCP drove all the companies out of China and they are threatening our friends and allies that are very close trading partners as well. You don't have to be our enemy. Being friends with us and an equal among equals would benefit everyone. I know that isn't how current Chinese business and political culture views things, but it is the truth of how international politics and normal business outside China works. It is how you become a super power like the US and EU. You work together and you don't choose violence or keep threatening others.
As a Mission Crew Commander Air Battle Manager on AWACS and a prior squadron commander on Okinawa, you forgot about that island. It's only 450 miles away from Taiwan and filled to the teeth with US forces.
As deterrent, the F22 works very well, but without upgrades it is inferior to the F35. Nowadays all depends on how much ammo you can carry towards your enemy, then all depends on the ammo range and power ... and sometimes this needs to be done really stealthy. So upgrade and keep it running all of them. Upgrade service lifespan, engines, the main processing power (CPU), enhanced pods and radar capabilities etc. There is no hurry to replace the F22 as alpha predator, the SU57 is probably dead on arrival, so all depends on China. But if you show China too early your capabilities, they copy all. So wait and drink tea with the NGAD (meaning hide it well).
Why should F22 have additional ECM-PODS, deteriorating its stealth capabilities? The basic concept of Stealth is such, incoming (BVLOS) AAM and SAM have difficulties to get a lock on a F22. Everyone knows Stealth not about invisibility. But about EMC-EMI-ECM-jamming? Good article by the way. Should make the non-techs more aware what stealth is about. (myself, a former manager of a government EMC-EMI-RF and RF jamming lab)
They should build a fighter with no weapons, have them all be carried by a companion drone instead. If the drone uses up its weapons, just rendezvous with a fresh one.
why not have 3 drones up at once you are on something and a couple AI drones at your 6 oclock just to be safe ! close air support for the ground assault drones your commanding .the AI drones to cover all 4 plos themselves your situational AWareness wil;l then be invincible... ask Tony Stark ,lol.
It's more of a flying ninja. Stealthy, highly maneuverable, and lethal against adversary aircraft. The F-35 would fit the sniper rifle analogy much better. It is mostly a long range/BVR focused aircraft, stealthy, and performs recon.
Th answer : the felon and the dragon got new engines. They are pretty good. We need to maintain our overmatch. Plus we have the harder mission out of the 3. So a better raptor would be nice
Why am I reminded of the (d)evolution of the F-16, from sleek lightweight dog fighter to laden precision-bombing platform? The U.S. can’t help making everything a bomber. From a cost-effectiveness standpoint, we should probably retire the entire concept of a fighter, with that entire AA function handed to drones and missiles.
Hmm? The F-16 didn't transition from fighter to bomber. Bombs have just become more advanced, and being able to deliver bombs is a basic requirement of combat aircraft.
To me the F22 is still the worlds best dedicated Air superiority fighter. It just never got a chance to meet a peer nut its presence alone scares others.
The upgrades to the F-22 probably should have been done a few years ago as it was easy to project the new threats entering the theatre of combat from our adversaries. Plus, until another more advanced fighter is ready for serial production, the US must keep all of their existing aircraft as advanced as possible because you never know when another war might break out.
While the F-22 is my favorite fighter, I think it would have been better to focus on the NGAD program. The only reason I see to upgrade the F-22 is if we are likely to get into a major war with a peer nation in the next few years… 😅
the problem is we may very well be in a war with China before 2030, at least we need to be prepared for that possibility because China is preparing to have the option to start that war in that timeframe.
There could be 2, rusty, moldy raptors left and the NGAD nanoseconds away from rolling off the line and people would STILL be simping for the F22 and demanding it be upgraded. People think the emotional attachment they have to things is of far greater importance to national security than objective reality.
in the scenario you describe, we would have literally no air dominance fighters. Imagine asking our adversaries to wait a few more years, until production is ramped up.
@@aneececoltthe thing is, the F-35 can fill this role en masse The F-35 already has better Radar/EW/frontal stealth giving it the edge in BVR so we’re fine in the meantime. We should prioritize 6th Gen
@@prodigalsoniv48 that's only part of air superiority, and that's air superiority you're talking, not air DOMINANCE. There is a difference. The F-35 is great, but not perfect, and not good enough to almost depend on exclusively.
@@aneececoltChina has maybe around 200 J-20's, we have abou 450 F-35's and about 180 F-22's. With the next generation fighter rolling out, if we lose an engagement, I dont think it'll be because we dont have enough F-22's
I think it might be interesting for you to do a video on aircraft missiles explaining how they work kinematically and how the targets aspect affects max range.
![Jack Harlow - Hello Miss Johnson [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q86_nlRoIGw/mqdefault.jpg)
Play War Thunder now with my link, and get a massive, free bonus pack including vehicles, boosters and more: playwt.link/taskandpurpose24
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i play warthunder already can i still get the stuff
Dude it's a russian game! :)
Think twice before taking money from russians.
Never forget all of the Russians who abused children and their families in Ukraine. From the mass graves (in Izium) to the stolen children. Now if parents don't become Russian citizens and go to flight against their brothers and cousins Russia will take their newborn children at birth.
Speaking of Izium. What did those 414 people see? The Russians thought it was better to murder them and bury them all in a mass grave instead of letting them testify. Whatever they saw must have been truly horrific.
If Russia want's to sign a treaty they must first prove they will stand by one. If Russia wants to negotiate, start with your original written agreement. Pull back all of their troops back behind their original boarder and then you can start negotiations. If they don't show they will honor the original agreement how can you expect them to honor any further agreements.
It's our war to lose. Russia can NOT win. Unless we choose to not support Ukraine of course. It is on us in the global West to pick the world we want to live in. Choose wisely. Thanks.
Glory to Ukraine. God Bless Ukraine and her people. 🇺🇦🇺🇸
In my opinion we are going to war sooner than later. We need to get our countries finances in order and secure our border so our money can be applied to out weapon systems and infrastructure. So build the next gen fighter, drone, tanks, and ships etc etc. Also I believe we should be allowing older Men to enlist if they wish to serve and can do the job. If they are physically fit and want to be there let them in list. They bring life skills & experience with the and will also help with younger recruits. Even if there was a program to do this in all branches of the reserves so we can have a larger force at the ready.
F22: "They say I'll be obsolete in 10 years"
B52: "...people been sayin' that 'bout me for 60 years..."
Maybe the B52 gets rebuilt into a giant drone mothership with reach. 😂
I don't think i would like it if i was an enemy army to see the B52 stealth bomber get an upgraded form...
That would be terrifying
its obsolete bc of the retarded costs involved in making and maintaining it. Which is why the b52 is still kicking bc its stupid reliable and has very little down time and basically costs almost nothing to loose or run.
@@ticotube2501 You could make drone the size of bombs that unfold when they clear the bay doors
"BINGO!"
I know this is random, but the United States lost their last triple fighter ace of world war 2. Brigadier General Bud Anderson. The man shot down 16 planes during world war 2, and flew along with the legend Chuck Yeager.
Rest in peace Bud Anderson.
He was also an F-105 squadron and wing commander who flew a combat tour in Vietnam!
rest in peace ace
He was also an F-105 squadron and wing commander who flew a combat tour in Vietnam!
Rest in peace Ace
F
If they don't call the upgraded Raptor the King Raptor, command and conquer fans will cry.
Under Rated AS FUCK!..... Lets give em an airshow
@@karther1058"Watch the skies, General."
China will grow larger
Damn, now that's fucking nostalgia
Give it that dark spine livery 🥵
Point of clarification: they wanted to retire only the oldest raptors because they were not built in the same configuration as the majority of the fleet and it was going to be really expensive to bring them up to standard config. Also, they didn't go from wanting to retire the raptor fleet to upgrading it, they went from paying for the upgrades with the money saved by retiring the early production tails, to just inflating the budget even more/pulling money away from ngad.
I like how America openly debates pros and cons of anything military related, whereas China and Russia: "Our ____ is perfection, the best thing ever, and can realign the planets."
I think that's what makes western militarys superior. Problems are discussed and addressed. Look at Russia, their leadership believed their own propaganda about it's military and then Ukraine happened. Not that the Russian military isn't capable but knowing ones shortcomings helps to compensate.
That's why it was funny when he showed the Su-57 "Pipedream" as a threat. I get China is working on things with tech they stole from us, but Russian computer graphics and props that rust in the rain without electronics aren't exactly impressive.
Name one thing or weapon that China has said is the best thing ever and better than usas. You can't name one except the ones that actually ARE superior, like certain hypersonic missiles. And that's mainly American generals etc who are saying it's superior. It's Americans who say China is a peer competitor, not China.
Chinese don't brag or talk and are humble. It's Americans who's motto is Americans exceptionalism or America fuck yeah.
Chinese let their actions do the talking otherwise they wouldn't even talk.
@@Blodhelm while the cornercut trophey wife «F-22» which can't really guide its AIM-120 and evade doing that, and doesn't have the third eye yet has PYLONS(Rimembah: stelf tiknologii, "myh reptor has less RCS than a bird"©)
@@ex0duzz hyper sonic missiles are their claims but they haven't proved the capability. They claim the J20 is better then the g22 and f35 so yes they overplay their hand, not as bad as the Russians though
"Would you intercept me ... I would intercept me."
"I've had it with this air to air vegan diet!"
"I'd intercept me so hard"
😂
Let the upgraded kid EAT!
Kid needs a cape now.
@@jamesogden7756 I'm now worried they might not be able to keep the kind in the hangar anymore.
Q: "Why spend to upgrade the F-22 when that $$ could be spent on the NGAD?"
A: Because then we'll have upgraded F-22s AND NGAD.
F22's will likely be retired once NGAD's are deployed en mass. F22 upgrade is just supposed to be a stop gap so America doesn't have its pants down if China decides to invades Taiwan before a significant amount can be built to counter.
@@floofy5529 I doudt it because NGAD is likely not made to do all the things the Raptor can like dogfight and point defense...
@@floofy5529 Floofy is correct, it's to catch the F22 with recent advances. Missiles are catching up to with the AIM-260. I hope the NGAD is a combination of the F22/F35. Just because most engagements will be BVR, it doesn't mean the enemy can push into WVR. Making the same mistake that we did in Vietnam and didn't have guns. Granted, they are more advance and accurate now but nothing is 100%
@floofy5529 yeah, given the military's history of failed programs and their delayed roll out, the F22 is gonna be here with us for a while longer
@@gld1010
the guns myth isn’t really all that true though
The issue wasn’t the lack of guns but rather a lack of training with missiles
After Top Gun was established, naval aviators were slaughtering the enemy with missiles and did better than the USAF pilots
Technology always wins BUT it REQUIRES solid training and tactics too
I love when people say “The F22 is too old and too technologically deficient to keep in service; and the upgrades cost too much,” and then say “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with upgrading the F15 and F16 platforms and keeping them in the air until the 2050s,” when both of those first flew while we still had troops in Vietnam…
Don’t get me wrong, the F15 and F16 are both legendary. But don’t tell me the F22 from 1997 is too old while the F15 and F16 first flew when rotary-dial phones were still a thing. FOH.
It makes more sense to just replace them with F-35s, though. Those are way more cost effective. F-22s are only marginally better at dogfighting while being many times more expensive. Meanwhile, F-35s can also replace strike aircraft, further bolstering their numbers. 2-3000x F-35s are just better than 700x F-22s at air superiority, while simultaneously offering far superior ground strike capabilities.
@@Dubanxoptions
F35 might not be that great against j32
F22 would have ffet a different threat.
Like having two golf clubs instead of one.
@@Dubanx The F-22 is only expensive because they canceled more then 2/3rds of the orders and blcoked it from export 750 orders to under 200 produced, the 35 costs less because they're making more then 15 times as many aircraft. Not to mention its a stealth aircraft thats not stealth when carrying air to ground ordenence and it cant even carry a lot so they're trying to extend the F-15 and F-16 life spans while simutaniously building more of them. The only thing the 35 has going for it is the Electronics suite and even then there's a chance the plane doesnt react to the pilots input upon landing which has been noted not only by pilots but by the plane itself in 3 or 4 crashes.
If you're talking about simple deadliness, no high-end fighter jet is not deadly, on pure speed and the ability to carry deadly missiles, even those from the rotary phone era. The F-15 is as powerful and fast as the F-22; and the latter could shoot down all current high end jets that the Russians and Chinese CURRENTLY have.
(.... The reason we know the J-20 is not anywhere near the capability of the F-22 is the same reason we know the South Koreans cars, of the 1990s, were NOWHERE near the quality and sophistication of Japanese, American, and Western European cars of the 1990s.... It takes a few DECADES to catch up to people who've been building some specialized thing for MANY DECADES before you got started....)
But we are talking about having AN EDGE over a "near-peer" competitor...
We are talking about "RELATIVITY"...
If you flew the mighty F-22 against the mid-size, mid-range (in the sphere of physicality) F-35, the mighty F-22 WILL BE SHOT DOWN. It doesn't matter how people who worship the mighty F-22 proclaim it is "the most deadly" fighter jet ever built.
The F-35's computational and data processing capabilities are up to 30 times superior to the 1990s F-22.
Some historical perspective: when the first 4 Cray Super Computers were made available to public research universities in the US, late 1980s/early 1990s --- one came to my alma mater, in San Diego; and the university had to build a giant 2-storie building to house & to cool it ---- the fastest super computational speeds were in the 3 to 5 G-FLOPS.
Today, most of your high-end CELL PHONES could do up to the one T-FLOPS range.
TECHNOLOGICALLY --- computationally, data link capability, avionics, "user sensor" (how the F-22 still operate with a helmet made for ANALOG screen), radar, etc --- the mid-range F-35 is about 25 years ahead of the mighty dog-fighting/interceptor F-22 from the 1990s.
Anyway, HIGH-END MISSILES ---- both the smaller air to air missiles fighter jets carry and the much larger and faster ground to air they have ---- from all advanced nations don't really care how fast all high-end aircraft fly.
You unknowingly fly a giant aircraft (Mach 1.5, Mach 2.5, etc) into a volley of Patriots, S-400, etc. and your chances of dying are very high.... because most high end air to air missiles travel between Mach 4 and Mach 6 and some high end ground to air missiles travel over Mach 10.
@@kiabtoomlauj6249f22 has double the radar range of f35. It has thrust vectoring. Better stealth by almost double over f35. The f22 Caries more missiles. And has supercruise. F35 was a cheap f22. The f22 would wipe any f35 from the sky. And why the military kept it top secret unlike f35.
Thank you for using so much footage from Growling Sidewinder to demo jets on your content in general, his content is some of the best out there in the flight sim space, and he has more simulated hours in some of these jets than actual pilots. Glad to see my boy succeeding with his content as much as he is. Just a big fan who wants to see him get more subs (and sponsor money) so he can afford to spend more time making videos for us.
Considering the number of conflicts around the world right now, I would think keeping the Raptor is a no-brainer. Our pilots are already lethal with the Raptor.
They're not lethal with jack right now, aside from dropping uncontested ordnance on random hajjis in Syria and Iraq it's never been tested or been so much as NEAR an enemy plane or up against a testworthy AA system
You have literally zero clue how it would perform in the wild
Good point about pilot experience on the platform! I honeslty hadnt even considered that, but the NGAD is going to be going thru teething problams for years and the train up. You mention a very serious consideration I, and no doubt others had not even considered. LOL, I know. Its rare on YT to find anyone that says "I was wrong" or "Man, great point and I hadnt thought about that!" This is YT History Spicywater. Have a good day
Shutting down the F-22 production line was a mistake that is on par with the Littoral Combat Ship program. Short sighted and naive cost savings strategies that didn’t pan out.
Littoral was horrid, it was plagued with issues before even reaching the sea
No. We and all our allies now have hundreds of the f35.
@@ZOV24-2-22Nah, the lessons learned from them will be worth their weight in gold in future warship design. Besides, I heard that the ones built are being considered to be converted into hypersonic missile cruisers.
@@bowencreer3922F-35 was meant to operate with the F-22. The Raptor would sweep the sky while Fat Amy would sweep ground defense and strike targets.
If the F-35 on its own was adequate, the USAF wouldn’t see the need to buy the F-15EX.
@@bowencreer3922 ya but its a multi role strike fighter.. our doctrine as always been to have a high end interceptor like the f14 15 and 22 and strike fighters usually more of a economic work horse. think f 16 and 18 they work well together. that decision left us with the f15 being our front line interceptor while its pushing 60 years old also it left us with few than 200 raptor for years before the f35 ever flew it was a short sighted cost saving measure. It also drove up the price of spare parts being that there are few of them. on top of all that it increases the use of each airframe making them fatigue rapidly.
We’re going to end up with fleets of B-52s and F-15s patrolling the hyperspace lanes.
F-15EXS Space Interceptor
@@heartlessangel1460 F-15EXSI
F-15X/WING
Long live the BUFF!
Space hen.
US Air Force: We need to retire these F-22s, they’re getting old.
Also US Air Force: We’re upgrading the B-52s again. They never get old!
Grandpa BUFF is FOREVER!!
@@GeoScorpion huh
My iPod is in the attic gathering dust.. but my CD player still gets used.
The B-52's were truly made for 100 years, higher payload than the BOne or the B-2.
I mean, to scare the enemy, you must let the enemies see ya right? the B-52 does just that I guess.
Reassign F-22's into the Wild Weasel role when NGAD comes on line? Decent stealth, incredible maneuverability. Lower availability may not be a huge problem for such a specialized role.
Fun fact: any supersonic object will have it's leading edges heat up due to air friction. The addition of advanced IR targeting pods may be a feature to deal with a possible stealth opponent.
Find Col. Bruce Gordon's (Spirit of Attack) video about his flying an F-106 and performing a face-shot on a Bomarc with a closure rate of M4.
hypersonic high hypersonic
They already have thermal targeting and missiles that use thermal targeting. Stop using fun fact especially when you don't know what you are talking about, friction heats up everything not just the edges of the wings but do you know what is hotter? Engine exhaust at over 1k degrees.
@@thomgizziz Yes, close in missiles like the sidewinder are allready thermal they use a single pixel that they keep on target and operate the servos on the flaps if the target goes off that single pixel. It does not however have the resolution to spot a 50 degree heat difference from 100 km away. and how much of that exhaust heat is visible from the sides and front? There's a reason the F35 and F22 have their engines combustion chamber after the compressor fan tucked in deep and their speed limited when performing stealth operations. As for the friction part, yes the effect is that pronounced on the point of highest air resistance, namely the leading edge, don't believe me? study the layout of the ablative paneling on the space shuttle's heat shields for reentry. there's a reason they protect the nose and underside but not the cockpit glass.
2:17 Growling Sidewinder shout-out! Woot Woot!
Good call out! I saw the one at 8:14 but missed that one. 😃
IRST is important because it provides passive tracking. Radar emissions can be seen by your target. IRST allows you to target an enemy without the enemy knowing.
True although Modern AESAs are often harder to detect
No, not harder to detect, but harder to jam or disturb. Output effect is output effect and any semi-modern EW suite will detect and track it.
@@Wargasm54 What "features" do the Russians "prominently on their aircraft"?
@@JohnDorian-j7x IRST
@@JohnDorian-j7x IRS
Even if there are some older 22's that don't have all the new bells and whistles, that sounds like they need to be moved into training positions, to free up the ones currently being used for training to be moved into fighting squadrons. Yes the pilots will eventually need to train in the newer 22's but getting their feet wet on these older air-frames will keep the hrs down on newer air-frames. No point is dumping the older planes when they can play a role in keeping the newer planes ready for battle.
The problem is that a lot of the Raptors that won't get the upgrade isn't due to cost.
But a little bit of right to repair with lack of schematics for a few of the items and they have been victims of one of the WORST enemies out there that attacks and can kill any craft, both civilian and military, and can't be shot down.
Rust / Corrosion... there are images out there where you can see the front of the canopy heavily rusted, and when you see the rust, it is usually a lot worse underneath.
With the schematics gone, getting replacement parts is difficult, and the cost to fix would exceed developing something new, which is why the older ones are vanishing.
12:55 - You've got the weapons on the missile bays mixed up. The AIM-9X are on the side bays while the AIM-120D are on the middle bays.
The really important upgrade is bringing the electronics suit up to F-35 standards.
Sensor fusion & interoperability would bring the F-22 into a state that there would be very little that could come close to threatening it.
Cant believe you upload this just as i finish lunch.
I just started mine.
Don't you hate that. Sometimes.
And clock in first @Booz2020
11:45 LMAO.
“Ever since sword combat, we’ve just been growing further and further apart.
War is getting lonelier and lonelier”
A way more accurate and prescient statement than the tone it was delivered. Even the in the 1400s and 1500s, Sword Masters were writing about sword combat, acknowledging how important distance, time and range were to a fight. It is an element as old as time.
Shout out to the French soldiers in the Verdun foxholes 1916
Oh! Your f22 is evolving!
Your f22 has evolved into a f22 super raptor!
F-22: 😏 "This isn't even my final form!"
Evolves even further into the F-22 King Rator from "C&C: Generals", just like that.
Consuming Super Steroids
"King Raptor ready for takeoff!"
3:19 "All the way back in 1998" *Shows literal cavemen* LOL
Great video. 👍 Also just wanted to say I really like Cappy's goodbye, "Signing off this net, time now."
3:20 the cavemen in 1998 made me lol
As someone who lived back then, I can say it's an accurate description. People WERE more civilized and sophisticated back in those days.
@@scratchy996I think people's brain were more specialized and thus, focussed on important informations for their daily lives.
People nowadays have access to all the information in the world and can't stay focused on one thing at a time.
Now we need AI to compensate.
Simpler people in simpler times.
Haha same, even made my own comment about it. I think they actually intended to put it there 🤣🤣🤣
IKR! I joined the USAF in 1998 and have been retired from service for over 5 years😂
That was actually a forecast of life after WW3, or Weapons Technology available for WW4 ... ! ☹
The F-22 can NOT be launched from an aircraft carrier as depicted @ 4:55. It would launch from a nearby island base
Like guam, kadena (okinawa), misawa, yokota, osan, or another Allie nation.
I still remember when raptors first showed up at kadena, along with patriot batteries. And the protestors and their raptor go home signs.
technically, it can be launched from one, but can't LAND on one
@@DJSpoiledMilk17Landing is for suckers. Use all your fuel and armament then eject.
@@LordWaterBottlemulti billion dollar fireworks
@@UsurperDogheart got to take what we learned from the Japanese 😂
I like the range graph but it should be pointed out that the F-22 isn't carrier based. They have to take off and land in ally countries or be air refueled.
In other words, it has effectively an infinite range.
@@TheRealAaronSmith it is limited to specific airfields in the region. I'm not sure "infinite" is the right word when there are humans on board or the mission is time sensitive.
Yeah I was looking at it going "Yeap that famous carrier variant the US made"
@@TheRealAaronSmithBy that logic every single aircraft capable of aerial refueling has an infinite range.
@@IndigoSierra pretty well, yep. Assuming you have the logistics to support a 24/7 refueling schedule across multiple points of the world. Which the US has. At least in theory, maybe not in current practice.For some time now, the limiting factor has been pilot endurance. We need to eat, drink, sleep, and relieve ourselves eventually, and those issues can only be mitigated for so long on an aircraft.
The fact that the F22 is already being considered for retirement is crazy.
Upgrading the F22 is a better choice than canning it and going for the 6th Gen straight away.
A new 6th Gen functional prototype is at least a decade in the future. The F22 is a perfectly functional machine available right now, you can refit the plane with some of the tech of the F35 making it more integrated. It is already hyper stealthy, engines can be upgraded, avionics as well. You have an excellent interceptor/air superiority fighter and the F35 is the multipurpose aircraft, the gaps in the airspace is thus filled right now, instead of waiting 10 - 15 years for the first prototypes to roll out.
As expensive as the F-22 is to operate and as expensive as it would be to upgrade them, this is still vastly less expensive than NGAD and deliverable about a decade sooner. The most likely timeframe for a major war with a near peer adversary is highest from now to a decade from now. NGAD will not be able to help with such a conflict at all and will seriously degrade the capability of current forces for such a conflict by diverting funds to the future and sacrificing near term modernizations.
Perfect is the enemy of good, the adage says.
other people dont realize that this is also a way to have a 5th gen test out tech for the NGAD this has been publicly stated by the airforce... the drop tanks will end up being used on the NGAD, IR tracking is planned for the NGAD so might as well test it on the F22
General Malcolm 'Ace' Grainger will ensure this project is a success. If not he can always get a good airline job.
now i feel like reinstalling C&C Generals Zero Hour
I’ve been curious about the weapon bay doors. Why couldn’t they slide open like pocket doors into the fuselage, instead of like closet doors that are less stealthy?
Based on that briefing slide, the AIM-260 is insanely good (and will probably have an insane price to match). The seeker with multi-band IR, RADAR *and* laser guidance plus gimbaling to broaden search/lock off-boresight will be impervious to just about any countermeasure. Ring laser gyro INS (a spectacular piece of technology that deserves its own video) means fantastic accuracy even without GNSS. And the thrust-vectoring restartable booster... flip. This thing is crazy.
Retiring old fighter aircraft: sad
Upgrading old fighter aircraft: CHAD
Making new fighter aircraft: NGAD
This comment: RAD
How long would it take for a NGAD to become operational?
@@LongWalkerActual, we are aiming for prototype testing by 2027 & initial production by 2030.
@@CoffeeAndPaul
So....
Operational development (fully equipped units) is when?
@LongWalkerActual full integration probably 2040 maybe 2050 gonna take a minute to make the amount we want train pilots and work out any kinks
Awesome update T&P. One thing dough, IRST is a PASSIVE tracking system, unlike RADAR, and it is designed to track aircraft not ground targets.
Nice to see Growling Sidewinder getting a shout out.
Yeah, he works so hard to create outstanding content. The dude's a class guy, too.
IRST also means you don't need to turn your radar on,. Emitting a radar signal makes you detectable. An IRST doesn't emit anything. The F-14D could use its IRST to very good effect.
I changed my mind about 22 to 35 times during this video.
3:22 Dang, shoutout to Grug and his cave family from 1998 🤣🤣🤣
I distinctly remember when the F-22 was first announced that the word "modularity" was very prominent in all descriptions of the aircraft. They claimed that "future upgrades would be easy and cheap" because of the "advanced modularity" of the aircraft systems. Of course, this unicorn like "modularity" has been touted for almost all military systems since the move from bronze weapons to iron. The only system in which it has proven to be even somewhat true is the M-16/M-4 combat rifle system.
The F22 upgrades seem well worth the cost. They are technologies already developed and available. IRST is necessary.
"this is rumored to hit targets beyond visual range". you mean something the AIM-120 has been doing since the 80s?
Revamped Raptor, plus the addition of the new Paragrine missles would make the Raptor even more lethal 😱
Fun fact: The F-22 is actually designated the F/A-22 according to official designations and AFSC codes. I learned this when making some decisions mid-career.
Wow interesting 😮
Huh! I was an IMIS Administrator at Holloman for 2 years. Learned something new today. Thanks!
Lol, I guess they really codifed that ground pounding that they were doing in Syria, huh?
@@baronvonslambert I was an 11FxF and when I was exploring an opportunity, I worked with people and the documentation I had in 2013 said 11FxJ F/A-22. I've never dropped bombs so I asked about the F/A designation and if shacking targets was part of the B school and whatnot. I got varied answers as to why it's officially the F/A but consensus was so that congress would pay for it and 'multirole' is more attractive to drop billions on than single mission. I stayed an 11FF and went to weapon school instead of switching jets mid-career, mostly because Raptors were asphyxiating pilots at the time and I was like 'no thanks' on what was a deadly defect (since fixed of course).
Nothing average with this grunt 👍
Salute from the Netherlands ✌
Im loving these frequent uploads ,keep it up !
The AIM260 may be able to hit a target from 316,800 bald eagles away.
The hatred of the metric system is fucking REAL
How they could even consider retiring the Raptor, is beyond my comprehension. This thing is so far ahead of its time. Glad they are upgrading it
My understanding of the new stealth fuel drop tanks and pylons for the F-22 is that BOTH the drop tanks AND pylons drop away from the aircraft when not needed, maintaining the original stealth characteristics of the F-22.
Imagine having to drop the most expensive external gas tanks ever.
You don’t cut the best air to air jet from your tires inventory cause you want to be cheap.
Who knows when the 6th Gen fighter they are developing will finally come out. So do what you need to give the Raptor its upgrades to help improve its modern avionics and sensors.
I wonder if there is a secret NGAD delay so AF decided the upgrades were required?
@@redrockengineer There could be delays, but the main thing is that 2030 is a really long way away when war with China could start practically at any time. If the war starts before NGAD can take over, then the F-22 is going to be our air superiority aircraft. Though probably if war looks likely they'll just keep the F-22 around a bit longer.
Aka the "Military contractor huge freaking bonuses" Act.
Honestly, as a resident of Long Island, I can tell you that that really helped me wrap my brain around the distance the Long Island comparison I think you should keep that😂
Love the GS footage.
Glad you're a fan.
Supercruise does not mean what you think it means. It means that you can go nominally faster than sound without afterburners.
yeah, and conversely it works by using a low-bypass engine engine that performs more like a turbojet than a turbofan, which also makes it less fuel efficient because the bypass ratio is half that of the engines on the F-35, F-15, or F-16
At least the repair personnel can easily find common problems.
That's why it's better to buy a vehicle model two or three years into production.
The Air Force was compelled to keep the Raptor by Congress because the AF had squandered billions on a aircraft they suddenly called “obsolete” and wanted more money for a clean sheet design.
Just say special interest payed off the congress, Lockheed Martin
the F-22 is a compromise design to placate the fighter mafia, built around supermanuverability. But classic dogfights haven't been a thing since Vietnam.
@@MrRinoHunter Lockheed gets plenty for a new design. The F-35 cost $1.2 trillion and they say it still needs reworking, like a second engine. Lockheed wins either way.
Another good down to Earth video. 👍
Growling Sidewinder and Operator Drewsky footages are awesome :3
So is the King Raptor gonna be reality? I miss Command and Conquer Generals :(
An operator drewski and Cappy Army team up? I am here for it
Yeesaaaaaaahhhhh Operator Drewski x Cappy is the collaboration we need
13:03 I recommend rechecking the hardpoints on the F22 for this graphic.
Modern warfare: I have a new, pod. 😱 What is in the pod? 😉 Wouldn't you love to know.
Upgrading the electronic warfare package and the communications and data is the right move but i think everyone has forgotten what the purpose of the raptor is: dogfighting. In their obsessive focus on beyond visual range engagements the planners are mistakenly assuming that highly maneuverable and capable interceptors wont be needed anymore at closer ranges and that simply isnt the case. Missles and satellites rely on systems that can and will be disrupted as countermeasures become more capable and unforseen circumstances arise. Having manual control and close in dogfighting capabilities still present at least as a backup is essential. THAT is why raptor needs to stay, for redundancy to fill its design niche of being the best dogfighter in the world.
Military Industrial Complex version of the Day 1 DLC.
There is no way someone signed off on sticking air to air missiles on the fuselage right in front of the air intakes…. Right?..right?!
The Generals from the Bradley program: "There's some space on the nose, just stick another couple missiles there."
This can’t be real 😂😂
I think there's a few issues with how the missiles were displayed. As far as I understood, sidewinder were carried, ironically, in the side bays, where AMRAAMs or whatever would be in the belly.
I don't see how or why they'd switch them around, just to have 2 sidewinders in that huge belly bay that can hold 6 AMRAAMs and 2 in the nose on top of that? Weird.
incorrectly modeled in the video, the 6 AMRAAMs are stored in the center bays and the sidewinders are in the side bays
Have you people ever seen a photo of the F22 it has a side door on each side for the aim-9 seperate from the big missile bay just google f22 missile bays open
That quote from the General is about specific models of the Raptor. The ones slated for practical and quick upgrades are later variants. The early models aren't going to get upgraded in the new plan. Further, the upgrades will happen far sooner than mass availability of NGAD. You're also making a false choice fallacy, the US can have both in service at once while phasing out the Raptors as they become less viable and the NGAD becomes more prolific.
I feel like this gets lost quite often in reductive analysis. The prime example is the 15EX, which can provide useful supplemental capability to 5th and 6th gen platforms in addition to having powerful electronic attack capabilities that can't be understated.
Just as infantry have guys at the front and artillery and support in the rear, so too will the USAF be using mixed platforms especially now that new AA weapons are deployable alongside datalink handoff.
The problem is that the rest of the USAF, including the Eagle II have more capability to participate in this kind of mixed platform engagement than the most stealthy aircraft the US has. Because of this, the EX and 35 have diminished capacity because the 22 creates a gap in total force capability. In other words, it's stealthy and can line up the shots for everyone else but can't get the information to the players who need it.
You got it a little mixed up, as a former USAF Mechanic, I can assure you the mechanics are the ones fueled by fine scothch...
As a former F22 Dedicated Crewchief, you are correct sir.
A stealth "tank killer" or ground support aircraft would be so dope... and we could test it as a drone RIGHT NOW in a certian conflict where an ally doesnt have air dominance... seems like a necessity for near peer conflics where getting air superiority might not be quick or even possible...
That's basically the F-35.
15:53 wait, I didn't knew Poland has a sixth gen fighter! :O
They do you just can't see it. It is so stealthy it deleted itself from all media.
on the bright side, finally not mistaken for Indonesia
Expensive, but seems like a no-brainer.
U.S. Air Force: "How can we make the deadliest jet fighter in modern history deadlier?"
Lockheed Martin: "Hold our beer."
"Jim. Call the grim reaper. We have work to do."
This is a great channel. Thanks Cappy!
The thing they're not saying out loud is the numbers game, Chinese is ramping out a lot of military hardware right now, so from this to buying a bunch of new F15's, the USA is trying to ramp up its own military hardware volume.
I remember a war game a while back. The US vs china. The givens were that every missile china fired missed. Every missile the US fired hit. The US lost. We didn't have enough planes/missiles. The Chinese fighters then took out all of our AWACS and tankers.
@@dave4882 I suppose the distances involved will severly reduce availability of US jets near china. China has a natural advantage there. Even if you could 100% stopgap the fuel issue with tankers, the pilots cant stay in the air forever in some narrow fighter cabin. They're out of the game while they're making the long way back.
@@dave4882 Its just war games, scenario's in rl are vastly different. Otherwise you had that one war game where you put a US general with a bunch of ragtag iraq's and they achieve the same shit, killing seals, destroying destroyers and carriers etc. Basically put, impossible scenario's or just incredibly cheating. Its a good way to learn
@Battl3Cry My point was basically that a few super weapons. No matter how good they are, will not win against a bunch of less than super weapons. Essentially, that's why the f16 exists.
@@dave4882 I'm going to need a citation for that war game as I'm unable to find anything resembling what you described.
825 mile range puts flying out of the Philippines, the southern area of S. Korea, and Japan as covering all of China's coast, covering the Taiwan' skies from the north and south bases, and thoroughly covering the skies of where most of China's population, industry, and political power resides off of the Yellow Sea and in provinces bordering Beijing.
A dog that bites doesn't bark, and a dog that barks doesn't dare to bite.
@@huayan601 hi Little Pink. Our aircraft get upgrades since we spend most of our military budget on an actual military. We also outspend every military in the world. That isn't in a direct comparison. That's combined. So, add up what every country in the world spends on their military and the US beats that amount every year by a notable percentage. This has been reduced after the Cold War ended, but that also involved standing down the amount of forces as well since the USSR wasn't a thing anymore.
A large chunk of that budget has always been on research and development. I know that new ideas and making them into new, manufactured technologies is a foreign concept in China, but we research things and then turn them into working weapons systems that actually work on the battlefield, not just on paper because we don't like sending our soldiers to just die. Fighter pilots and their planes are really expensive, so we like them to not die so easily. Tank crews are the same thing, earlier war. So we upgrade our planes when it makes sense because the tech ends up getting cheap enough and the plans for the logistics and procurement plans fit it.
Since Russia and the CCP want to keep saber rattling, just upgrading the F-22 to a more offensive role so it can strike in the Pacific theater makes logistical sense.
@@KnightsWithoutATable You are a aggressive guy. It is not without reason that we Chinese call the United States a paper tiger. The United States has always bullied the weak and feared the strong, and only dared to bully weak countries. You have forgotten the lessons of the Korean War. Do you think China is still the same as before? Ask your generals if they dare to use force against us. Your huge military expenditure has gone into the pockets of the military-industrial complex and politicians. We can surpass you in the near future with one-third of your military expenditure. You must remember that China is the only country that can challenge your American hegemony, but we do not want to treat the United States as an enemy. We never discuss going to war with you. Since you want to treat us as an enemy, we must be a qualified enemy. You don’t understand at all that your elites are actually afraid to fight us, because once you lose, your hegemony will no longer exist. Remember history, you have never won in Asia, don’t repeat the same mistakes and fight a wrong war at the wrong time and in the wrong place.
@@huayan601
Never won in Asia? The Japanese would like to remind you World War 2 took place and they lost to the US and China, not to China alone. Your fight with them was but one front among the entirety or the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. A logistical nightmare to invade and defend. Korea was ended by the North and South coming to a cease fire agreement, not because anyone was winning or losing. Vietnam was ended because the US lost public support for the war and had the bulk of it's military tied up facing off against the USSR in case World War 3 was started, so that wasn't a full force war. It was also over a country that didn't matter.
Never discuss going to war with us? Have you looked at your propaganda? Seriously, look at it. You want to go to war. As for asking our military if they are confident about going to war with China. Oh yes, they are confident that they can keep you sealed behind the first island chain, especially with the geography, your current military, your current economy, and current technological gap. They have been planning to be ready to fight Russia and China ever since the rhetoric and propaganda out of those countries turned hostile towards the US and allies of the US and they started backing out of treaties limiting weapons or building up their military. That's just good defense policy. We don't want to have a war as that is wasteful and kills a lot of people, but we aren't going to shy away from it.
I can share a little secret with you about the West over China and Russia: we actually under report our readiness, quantity, and capabilities of our military. What you see on the declassified documents is less than what is actually able to be used when the generals want to do something. Don't believe me? The F-117 and B-2 bomber were completely classified until they were used in war and couldn't be kept hidden any longer. That is a full set of aircraft developed, manufactured, and capable on the battlefield that not even the Soviet KGB knew existed, let alone what they could do, which was pretty dangerous to the enemy since it ruined defense strategies. So you should take that into account about the number and quality of US weapon systems. They aren't invulnerable, but they are very advanced and are built at scale for facing large enemies with a large depot size. When the headlines in the media said we were running out of artillery shells in NATO to send to Ukraine, that was the spares. We still had our stockpile in case WWIII started. We did learn that our stockpile was probably too small for a prolonged war, so we are upping manufacture, which is something we can do for high tech and military items very well.
As for China out pacing the US on defense production. That isn't going to happen even when you factor in price parity between the two countries. You also lack the stockpile size that we already have sitting. You also lack any combat experience, especially in your officer core and commanders. That does not bode well for actual combat. Inexperience officers often make really bad decisions in combat of freeze up, getting troops killed. Generals without experience will send forces on missions that don't work. Troops will run or hide when combat or even just shelling starts. They also tend to just not fight as hard as veterans since the task of combat is new to them. As for production, it's about economy size at that point and technology. Sure, you can make a lot more ballistic and cruise missiles that the US can. They are highly inaccurate and prone to failure. They are also very vulnerable to first strikes and targets of opportunity, along with simply getting intercepted, which the US has demonstrated they have excellent capabilities to do. Building small ships for your navy isn't going to let you swarm the larger vessels of a carrier group. They are just not capable of carrying the weapon systems with enough range and in the quantities to be a threat. As for your air force, well, pilot training is the first issue, pilot autonomy when in combat is the other. The quality of your aircraft is the other issue, but what is really the problem is just how much of a line you have to cover with them. That is a very long coast with very vital ports and military installations that all need defending. You don't have the planes and SAM systems to cover all of it against steal aircraft.
Radar ranges are shortened, effectively, when facing stealth aircraft, so this leaves gaps in coverage. Yes, you can use bands of radar that can see steal aircraft, but they only give you a rough location, so you aren't shooting them down using that. It would let you have a chance to track a cruise missile released by one, you would think, but here's the problem with that: we have stealth cruise missiles. That's declassified info. They work so-so against the best Russian radars and SAM systems, so it takes several to hit the target, but we also have a stockpile of 5000 or more of them, depending on the model, last I checked, with more being built this year for the new, longer range, more stealthy model.
Then you have Rapid Dragon and what Boeing announced yesterday. Rapid Dragon allows a C-130 (12 missiles) or a C-17 (45 missiles) to push special pallets of cruise missiles out the back of the plane and then launch the cruise missiles. For hitting the front line and second line of targets, this puts the cargo planes hundreds of miles from the front line where they would normally be for running cargo and out of harms way, but well within launching distance for striking. There are hundreds of these planes in service with the US Air Force and all of them can do this. They can also launch drones (multiple kinds), JADAM bombs (need air superiority for this one) and sea mines.
That last one likely includes the kind of mines that the US admiral warned the PLA about that could turn the Strait of Taiwan into a deathtrap full of killer drones. A new sea mine that sits around and doesn't arm until it senses the sound of a known target vessel, then it attacks it. That would allow for a rapid coverage of the whole area in a matter of probably a few days and flights well before the PLA had even gotten all their assets into the area. That kind of puts a hamper on invasion plans for Taiwan when you can't sail through there but US subs and ships can, mainly the subs. Anything that doesn't get hit by a mine gets torpedoed, but your antisubmarine ships can't go in to hunt the sub since the mines will target and destroy them. Your mine clearing ships can't start clearing the mines because the subs will torpedo them. Your subs can't go in because of the mines as well along with the issue of sub on sub warfare just not working to hit each other. (there has been a total of one kill from sub on sub warfare in all of history)
You see how it isn't fear, but just not wanting to see senseless death and urging a diplomatic solution? We would rather not have to develop these weapons. We would rather be doing business with you like we were before, but the CCP drove all the companies out of China and they are threatening our friends and allies that are very close trading partners as well. You don't have to be our enemy. Being friends with us and an equal among equals would benefit everyone. I know that isn't how current Chinese business and political culture views things, but it is the truth of how international politics and normal business outside China works. It is how you become a super power like the US and EU. You work together and you don't choose violence or keep threatening others.
@@huayan601 Is that why your always barking up a storm then? Huh, thanks for the info!
As a Mission Crew Commander Air Battle Manager on AWACS and a prior squadron commander on Okinawa, you forgot about that island. It's only 450 miles away from Taiwan and filled to the teeth with US forces.
Which will be flattened in the first missile volley in any war with china.
@@ex0duzzPatriot battery says "hold my beer."
@@pike100 Until missile supply lasts. Also Okinawa is technically Japanese territory and China would like to avoid antagonizing Japan.
As deterrent, the F22 works very well, but without upgrades it is inferior to the F35. Nowadays all depends on how much ammo you can carry towards your enemy, then all depends on the ammo range and power ... and sometimes this needs to be done really stealthy. So upgrade and keep it running all of them. Upgrade service lifespan, engines, the main processing power (CPU), enhanced pods and radar capabilities etc. There is no hurry to replace the F22 as alpha predator, the SU57 is probably dead on arrival, so all depends on China. But if you show China too early your capabilities, they copy all. So wait and drink tea with the NGAD (meaning hide it well).
Why should F22 have additional ECM-PODS, deteriorating its stealth capabilities? The basic concept of Stealth is such, incoming (BVLOS) AAM and SAM have difficulties to get a lock on a F22. Everyone knows Stealth not about invisibility. But about EMC-EMI-ECM-jamming? Good article by the way. Should make the non-techs more aware what stealth is about. (myself, a former manager of a government EMC-EMI-RF and RF jamming lab)
They should build a fighter with no weapons, have them all be carried by a companion drone instead. If the drone uses up its weapons, just rendezvous with a fresh one.
That's how the NGAD will be. Might just have a directed energy weapon on board for missle defense.
This will also allow the NGAD to be super thin and stealthy.
If that's the direction, remove the internal bay for internal tanks. Or figure out stealthy CFTs
why not have 3 drones up at once you are on something and a couple AI drones at your 6 oclock just to be safe ! close air support for the ground assault drones your commanding .the AI drones to cover all 4 plos themselves your situational AWareness wil;l then be invincible... ask Tony Stark ,lol.
Jeez you sure know how to make a guy feel old....back in 98 ....jeez
The raptor is a flying sniper rifle.. now a super sniper rifle
It's more of a flying ninja. Stealthy, highly maneuverable, and lethal against adversary aircraft.
The F-35 would fit the sniper rifle analogy much better. It is mostly a long range/BVR focused aircraft, stealthy, and performs recon.
THAT RAPTOR IS BETTER THAN ALL OTHER AIRCRAFTS!!
The F-22 has already been upgraded quite a bit. The F-22A Block 40/50 is what you're looking for
Hell, F-8E Crusaders had IRST... OLD IRST but it was there...
The mighty F-106 also had IRST, plus TADIL A datalink.
So had F-14, later changed to TV camera.
Because we shouldn’t have ever stopped production of these bad boys
True, but it's very difficult to predict the future and they are spendy. Too bad, moving on
Th answer : the felon and the dragon got new engines. They are pretty good. We need to maintain our overmatch. Plus we have the harder mission out of the 3. So a better raptor would be nice
All 8 Felons?
F-22 is a such a majestic jet, and it still has so much life left in it, so happy to see the much needed upgrades
It's about time they upgraded the F-22 it never got its time to shine in hot war
Why am I reminded of the (d)evolution of the F-16, from sleek lightweight dog fighter to laden precision-bombing platform? The U.S. can’t help making everything a bomber. From a cost-effectiveness standpoint, we should probably retire the entire concept of a fighter, with that entire AA function handed to drones and missiles.
Relative to problems: "...We usually drop a bomb on it." -- Air Force General in Space Force the T.V. series.
Hmm? The F-16 didn't transition from fighter to bomber. Bombs have just become more advanced, and being able to deliver bombs is a basic requirement of combat aircraft.
To me the F22 is still the worlds best dedicated Air superiority fighter. It just never got a chance to meet a peer nut its presence alone scares others.
Should call it the dominus raptor
I'd like to know more about this NGAD program, please!
3:19, best photo choice ever.
The upgrades to the F-22 probably should have been done a few years ago as it was easy to project the new threats entering the theatre of combat from our adversaries. Plus, until another more advanced fighter is ready for serial production, the US must keep all of their existing aircraft as advanced as possible because you never know when another war might break out.
While the F-22 is my favorite fighter, I think it would have been better to focus on the NGAD program.
The only reason I see to upgrade the F-22 is if we are likely to get into a major war with a peer nation in the next few years… 😅
China surprised a bit with volumes of j22. The unknown is what will china surprise USA with in five years?
I feel like NGAD won't be ready prior to any showdown over Taiwan.
the problem is we may very well be in a war with China before 2030, at least we need to be prepared for that possibility because China is preparing to have the option to start that war in that timeframe.
A major war with a near-peer opponent in the next few years is actually a likely scenario.
There could be 2, rusty, moldy raptors left and the NGAD nanoseconds away from rolling off the line and people would STILL be simping for the F22 and demanding it be upgraded.
People think the emotional attachment they have to things is of far greater importance to national security than objective reality.
in the scenario you describe, we would have literally no air dominance fighters. Imagine asking our adversaries to wait a few more years, until production is ramped up.
@@aneececoltthe thing is, the F-35 can fill this role en masse
The F-35 already has better Radar/EW/frontal stealth giving it the edge in BVR so we’re fine in the meantime. We should prioritize 6th Gen
@@prodigalsoniv48 that's only part of air superiority, and that's air superiority you're talking, not air DOMINANCE. There is a difference.
The F-35 is great, but not perfect, and not good enough to almost depend on exclusively.
@@aneececoltChina has maybe around 200 J-20's, we have abou 450 F-35's and about 180 F-22's.
With the next generation fighter rolling out, if we lose an engagement, I dont think it'll be because we dont have enough F-22's
@@aneececoltIs there anything out there better than the F-35's Block 4, or even in the next 10-20 years?
I think it might be interesting for you to do a video on aircraft missiles explaining how they work kinematically and how the targets aspect affects max range.