F-22 Raptor Fired Off Record Number of Air-to-Air Missiles

A 1st Fighter Wing's F-22 Raptor from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., pulls away and flies beside a KC-135 Stratotanker with the 756th Air Refueling Squadron, Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility, Md., while his wingman refuels off the east coast July 10, 2012.(Master Sgt. Jeremy Lock / U.S. Air Force).  

Task & Purpose: An Air Force F-22 Raptor just fired off a record number of air-to-air missiles  

It basically tells big Air Force that our unit is prepared to deploy”  

The U.S. Air Force found out that the F-22 Raptor can fire far more air-to-air missiles than ever before. Teams from the 94th Fighter Squadron and 94th Fighter Generation Squadrons were able to load and fire a record breaking 28 missiles during a weapons test in September, far more than the standard arms loadout. 

That’s a lot of explosives. In fact, it’s nearly a third more than the previous record of 22 air-to-air missiles fired from a F-22, set in 2014 by a team from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. This Raptor is loaded for bear and other planes.  

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WNU Editor: The U.S. Air Force still wants to retire the F-22 .... The F-22 prototype first flew 32 years ago. Now Congress and the Air Force are at odds over the stealth jet's future (Insider).

Why The U.S. Congress Should Stop The Air Force From Retiring 33 F-22s

A U.S. Air Force F-22 maneuvers after being in-air refueled April 25, 2014, over the U.S. Central Command Area of responsibility by a KC-135 Stratotanker and aircrew from the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Vernon Young Jr./Released)  

Breaking Defense: Congress should stop the Air Force from retiring F-22s  

As China looms, the Heritage Foundation's JV Venable argues for saving 33 F-22s from the chopping block. 

As the Air Force tries to balance long-term strategy with short-term budgets, it plans to slice some F-22s from the already slender fleet to help pay for next generation platforms. In the below op-ed, however, The Heritage Foundation’s JV Venable argues that’s a mistake the Air Force can’t afford to make in today’s perilous geopolitical environment. 

The F-22 Raptor is an amazing aircraft. Its stealth faculties, coupled with its unmatched maneuvering and super cruise capabilities, make it the most dominant air-to-air fighter in the world. Yet, the Air Force wants to retire 33 of these jets because upgrading them would cost money they’d rather use to develop future systems. 

It is a false choice, and in the face of growing threats from America’s adversaries, Congress needs to act to stop the retirement.  

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WNU Editor: It all comes down to money (or lack of it). Faced with budget shortfalls the Pentagon is being forced to make some hard choices. Will Congress allocate more money? We shall see.

U.S. Air Force Warns Congress That If It Blocks F-22 Retirements It Will Impact Drone, B-21, And Hypersonic Programs

 

Defense News: Unmanned program could suffer if Congress blocks F-22 retirements, Hunter says 

DAYTON, Ohio — A congressional push to block the U.S. Air Force’s plan to retire 33 F-22s could have ripple effects for one of the service’s top priority programs, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft. 

The Air Force’s proposal to cut the F-22s is part of a broader plan to divest 150 aircraft in fiscal 2023 to free funds for higher priorities such as the B-21 bomber, hypersonic weapons programs and Next-Generation Air Dominance systems.  

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U.S. Air Force Warns Congress That If It Blocks F-22 Retirements It Will Impact Drone, B-21, And Hypersonic Programs  

If Congress blocks F-22 retirements, expect impact to Air Force drone programs: Hunter -- Breaking Defense  

New Cost Estimate to Upgrade and Operate Boneyard-Bound F-22s Due in September -- Air Force Magazine  

A Hard Choice for the U.S. Air Force: Stealth F-22s or NGAD? -- 19FortyFive

U.S. Deploys F-22s To Poland

A dozen F-22's are being sent to Poland to support NATO's air shielding against Russian threats. US Air Force/DVIDS 

Insider: US F-22 Raptors are on their way to Poland to boost NATO's air shield against Russian threats 

* The US Air Force is sending six F-22 Raptors to support NATO's "air shielding" mission in Poland. 

* The F-22s will bolster NATO's eastern flank amid Russian aggression in Ukraine. 

* The Air Force says the Raptor is unmatched by "any known or projected" aircraft. 

The US Air Force is sending F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Lask, Poland to support NATO's "air shielding" mission and bolster deterrence against potential Russian threats. 

The fifth-generation stealth fighter jets of the 90th Fighter Squadron, which just arrived at RAF Lakenheath, England from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, will soon make their way to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, Poland, according to a statement from US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.  

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 U.S. Deploys F-22s To Poland  

F-22 Raptors Are Heading To Poland -- Warzone/The Drive  

Air Force Moves F-22s to Poland in Bid to Protect Allies Against Russia -- Military.com  

Headed to Poland to Boost NATO, F-22s Arrive in UK -- Air Force Magazine

Why The US Air Force Wants To Dump 33 F-22s

An F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot flies behind a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 465th Air Refueling Squadron assigned to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, March 8. 2021. The F-22 team from Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia, is assigned to Air Combat Command and received fuel from the Okies during their flight back to their home station after performing at an air show. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mary Begy  

19FortyFive: F-22 Raptor Retirement? Why the Air Force Wants To Dump 33 Stealth Fighters 

The Air Force Wants to Retire One-Fifth of Its Irreplaceable F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighters – Seventeen years after it entered service, the F-22 Raptor remains the most capable air superiority fighter on the globe, combining traditional flight performance characteristics sought in non-stealth aircraft, while boasting a smaller radar signature than stealth warplanes before and since. 

Unfortunately, the F-22’s operating costs and maintenance availability also reflect its premium status, as does the fact that the Pentagon procured only 187 operational aircraft, resulting in even higher per-plane costs than originally intended.  

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Update: Air Force wants to send Tyndall’s F-22 jets to the boneyard (Air Force Times)  

WNU editor: It all comes down to money. Or more to the point .... not having the money to maintain such a fleet.

Incredible Images Of A Stripped-Down F-22 Raptor Being Rebuilt After A Belly Landing

A low-quality picture of 07-4146 on its belly at Fallon in 2018. Anonymous contributor  

Warzone/The Drive: Incredible Images Of A Stripped-Down F-22 Raptor Being Rebuilt After A Belly Landing  

The F-22 is set to return to service in early 2022, nearly four years after a botched takeoff. 

The U.S. Air Force says it is hopefully just months away from completing what will be a nearly four-year-long effort to return a seriously damaged F-22 Raptor stealth fighter to service. In highlighting this intensive repair effort, and the airmen behind it, the service has offered a look at the innards of a Raptor unlike any we have seen in the past. 

The public affairs office at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, or JBER, in Alaska released the new details about the work that has gone into restoring 07-4146 on Dec. 21, 2021. This base is home to the 3rd Wing. This Raptor, which has the serial number 07-4146, went skidding along the runway on its belly at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada after a botched takeoff attempt in April 2018. It was one of four jets from the 3rd Fighter Wing's 90th Fighter Squadron that had deployed to Fallon to support a graduation exercise for the U.S. Navy's famous Topgun fighter pilot training program.  

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WNU Editor: Considering how valuable each F-22 is. This massive effort to repair one is no surprise.

The U.S. Air Force Has A F-22 With A "Mirror-Like" Chome Coating

 

Business Insider: New video provides another glimpse of the US Air Force's mysterious, never-before-seen 'chrome' F-22 

* A clip filmed at Nellis Air Force Base shows provides another glimpse of the mysterious "chrome" F-22 Raptor.

* The mirror-like coating, never before seen on a Raptor, appears to cover most of the outer "skin" of the aircraft. 

* It's not clear what the coating was for, though it may be for testing, possibly of targeting systems. 

You probably already know it by now, but a really intriguing F-22 Raptor is flying over Nevada these days. 

The aircraft, unmarked (i.e. lacking evident tail codes and registration) was first caught on camera on November 19, 2021, by the famous aviation photographer Santos Caceres as it "flexed" on departure from Nellis Air Force Base. 

The aircraft's distinguishing feature is a "mirror-like" coating, never seen before on a Raptor. The reflective metallic coating appears to cover most of the outer "skin" of the aircraft leaving very evident panel lines, including some saw tooth ones above and on the sides of the fuselage (typical of stealth aircraft), as well as some unusual curvilinear ones (on the wings in the flaps area). 

We don't know what's the reason for the new "chrome" or "mirror-like" coating, although it looks quite likely it was applied to carry out some testing activity, possibly related to IRST (Infra Red Search & Track) or other targeting systems.  

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WNU Editor: That is so cool! Watch the F-22 at the 9:20 mark in the above video.

The F-22 Is Going To Be flying For A Long Time

The Air Force has awarded a $10.9 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to modernize the F-22 Raptor. (Airman 1st Class Emily Smallwood/U.S. Air Force)  

Defense News: Lockheed wins $10.9B contract to modernize F-22 

WASHINGTON — The Air Force on Friday awarded Lockheed Martin a $10.9 billion contract to modernize its F-22 Raptor fighter jet.

The massive indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity deal for the F-22 Program Office’s Advanced Raptor Enhancement and Sustainment, or ARES, program will cover up to a decade’s worth of sustainment and modernization of the fifth-generation fighter.

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Update #1: Lockheed Martin Wins $10.8Bln Sustainment Contract to Keep F-22 Fleet Flying, Pentagon Says (Sputnik)  

Update #2: F-22 Raptor: World’s Deadliest Stealth Fighter Jet Gets A Whopping $10.8 Billion Boost In A New US Air Force Contract (EurAsian Times)  

WNU Editor: The Air Force is still planning for the day when the F-22s are replaced .... The Air Force Is Planning For a Future Without the F-22 (Defense One).

Slo-Mo Video Of A F-22 Raptor

Phantom of the Raptor from Dustin Farrell (www.dfvc.com) on Vimeo.

KSL.com: Have You Seen This? Slo-mo video of a F-22 Raptor is the coolest thing you'll see today 

THE SKIES — I'm not sure why pretty much all humans are fascinated by flight, but we are. 

Ever since we were little kids. we'd get excited when we'd see a plane fly overhead. Pretty much every person on the planet wanted to be a pilot at some point in their life. 

A lot of us also have those dreams we can fly, and we envy Superman's power of flight. Maybe it's the freedom of shooting across the sky and taking a dive through the clouds. Whatever it is, there is something about the sky that calls to us all, even when you have a fear of heights.  

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WNU Editor: Cool!

This Is What Is Necessary to Get An f-22 Raptor Ready For Flight

 

Autoevolution: It Takes a Lot of Time to Get an F-22 Raptor Ready for Flight, Here’s How They Do It 

The F-22 Raptor might be considered something of a flop. Introduced in 2005 as one of the most advanced military airplanes ever made, it was supposed to keep America’s enemy’s at bay through a combination of high-tech hardware and weaponry the likes of which the world had never seen. 

Sadly for the plane, America’s enemies were not so keen on fighting wars the good old-fashioned way, with national armies involved, so the Raptor soon became a plane without a purpose. It was also incredibly expensive to make, its export to allied nations was banned, and that eventually spelled doom for the machine.  

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WNU Editor: To keep this plane flying it takes a lot of prep and maintenance. the above video gives a glimpse on what is involved.

US F-22 Raptor Pilot Describes The Challenge Of Going Up Against The F-35

© US Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Adam Keele Two F-35As. US Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Adam Keele 

Business Insider: A US F-22 Raptor pilot describes the challenge of going up against F-35 red-air aggressors 

* F-35s flown by dedicated red-air pilots joined the Air Force's top air-combat exercise this month. 

* Capt. Patrick Bowlds, an F-22 pilot, was one of the blue-air pilots who flew against them.

* "It definitely adds a level of complexity," Bowlds said of the red-air F-35s. 

The US Air Force turned up the pressure this month at its premier air-to-air combat-training exercise, for the first time adding F-35 stealth fighters flown by dedicated red-air aggressor pilots - who emulate the tactics of an enemy force - into the mix of threats that blue-air pilots face. 

Red Flag, which takes place at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, started as an air-combat exercise but has evolved to include not just increasingly advanced aerial aggressor threats but also surface-to-air, space, and information threats. 

"My job is not to give blue an easy day," Col. Scott Mills, the 57th Operations Group commander and an F-35 aggressor pilot, said in a recent statement. 

"My job is to give blue the absolute toughest day that I can. And the way for me to do that is to bring the F-35 into the fight."  

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WNU Editor: Apparently the F-35's stealth capability shines when there are multiple events and threats occuring at the same time.

U.S. Air Force Deploys 25 F-22s For China-Focused Exercise In Western Pacific

US Air Force airmen perform hot-pit refueling on an F-35A fighter at Northwest Field as part of an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) on Guam in February. 

 CNN: US Air Force to send dozens of F-22 fighter jets to the Pacific amid tensions with China 

Hong Kong (CNN)The United States Air Force is sending more than two dozen F-22 stealth fighters to an exercise in the western Pacific this month, an unusually large deployment of the powerful jets that analysts say sends a strong message to a possible adversary in China. 

Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii this week said approximately 25 F-22s Raptors from the Hawaii Air National Guard and from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, will deploy this month to Guam and Tinian islands for Operation Pacific Iron 2021. 

"We have never had this many Raptors deployed together in the Pacific Air Forces area of operations," Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, told CNN. 

The F-22s are fifth-generation combat jets, the world's most advanced fighter aircraft, incorporating stealth technologies and connecting on-board sensor systems with off-board information systems to give their pilots a detailed view of the battle space. US F-35s are another example. 

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Update: F-22 Raptors from Alaska and Hawaii to fly in large numbers for China-focused exercise in Western Pacific (Anchorage Daily News/The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)  

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. This is going to be the first of many deployments and exercises with China being the focus.

Video Of The Day

Why The U.S. Can't Just Start Building F-22s Again

 

Sandboxx: Why can’t America build any new F-22 Raptors? 

The U.S Air Force has two air superiority fighters in their stable in the F-22 Raptor and F-15 Eagle, but when looking to bolster the fleet with purchases of a new (old) jet for the job, it was the Eagle, not the famed Raptor, to get a second lease on life. 

That really begs the question: if America can buy new F-15s, a design that’s nearly 50 years old, why isn’t it looking to build new F-22s instead? 

By most accounting, the F-22 Raptor remains the most capable air superiority fighter on the planet, with its competition in China’s J-20B beginning to shape up and Russia’s Su-57 still lagging a bit behind. 

The F-22 really is still at the top of its game… but that doesn’t mean building more actually makes good sense.  

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WNU Editor: There are currently 183 F-22s in service.

One Year After Its Landing Gear Collapsed, an F-22 Is Back In The Air

Virginia Air National Guard airmen assigned to the 192nd Maintenance Group prepare to launch F-22 Raptor tail #85 April 9, 2021, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. The team of maintainers rebuilt the fighter jet after a mishap upon landing in January 2020. (U.S. Air National Guard/Tech. Sgt. Lucretia Cunningham)  

Military.com: More Than a Year After its Landing Gear Collapsed, an F-22 Is Back in the Air 

More than a year after its landing gear collapsed on the flight line at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, an F-22 Raptor took to the skies for the first time last month thanks to Virginia Air National Guard maintainers. 

Airmen from the 192nd Maintenance Group were able to get the fifth-generation jet, tail number 85, up and running for its first flight back April 9, according to a news release. On Jan. 16, 2020, the base announced that there had been an incident involving an F-22 following a routine training flight. Though the pilot was taken to the Langley Air Force Base Hospital for evaluation, there were no injuries. 

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Update: VaANG maintainers rebuild F-22 Raptor after collapse on JBLE flight line (DVIDS) 

 WNU Editor: No mention on how much it cost to repair this F-22. But it took 15 months to do it.

U.S. Air Force Planning To Retire Its F-22 Fleet

An F-22 Raptor flies over Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 23 2009 on a routine training mission. The F-22 is deployed from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va.  

Air Force Magainze: CSAF: F-22 Not in USAF’s Long-Term Plan 

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. wants to neck down the Air Force’s fighter inventory from seven fleets to four, and the F-22 is not on his short list. 

Speaking during the McAleese FY2022 Defense Programs Conference on May 12, Brown said the tactical aviation study, which launched earlier this year, isn’t meant to produce the exact “right mix” of fighters for the future but to assemble a range of options that will shift as the threat does. 

“What I’m looking for out of the [TacAir] study,” Brown explained, is not necessarily “the exact answer of what is the exact mix” of the USAF’s combat aircraft of the future. “I’m really looking for a window of options,” he said, because “the facts and assumptions based on the threat will change over time.”  

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Update #1: The Air Force Is Planning For a Future Without the F-22 (Defense One)  

Update #2: Air Force Chief Hints at Retiring the F-22 Raptor in Fighter Downsize (Military.com)  

WNU Editor:This is a surprise.

Flying With F-22 Fighters Patrolling The Arctic: Exclusive (Video)

F-22 Raptor Experiences Nose-Gear Failure After Emergency Landing At Eglin Air Force Base

Inbox: "F-22 nose gear failure at Eglin AFB." 

Northwest Florida Daily News: F-22 fighter jet nose down on runway has 'ground mishap' at Eglin Air Force Base 

EGLIN AFB — An F-22 Raptor fighter jet assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing experienced an apparent nose-gear failure upon landing at Eglin Air Force Base on Monday afternoon as part of what the base was calling an "in-flight emergency." 

The pilot was taken to the base's flight medical facility, but there was no information available from the base on the extent of the pilot's injuries, if any, or of the pilot's medical condition. 

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WNU Editor: Pilot is OK. Unfortunately the F-22 has sustained serious damage. 

 More News On Yesterday's F-22 Crash 

F-22 Has In-Flight Emergency, Ends Up Nose Down at Florida Base -- Military.com 

F-22 Raptor Experiences An Apparent Nose-Gear Failure After Emergency Landing At Eglin Air Force Base -- The Aviationist

F-22 Experiences In-Flight Emergency, Ground Mishap at Eglin -- Air Force Magazine 

Inbox: "F-22 nose gear failure at Eglin AFB." -- Warzone/The Drive

Israel Wants To Acquire F-22s From The U.S.

Air Force F-22 Raptors fly over the Nevada Test and Training Range in March. The Air Force plans to lift the four-month grounding of the Raptor fleet, sources said. Senior Airman Brett Clashman / Air Force 

EurAsian Times: Not Happy With F-35 Jets, Israel Looks To Acquire The Ultimate Dogfighter – F-22 Raptors From The US 

Nowhere did Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu see that the historical normalization “Abraham Accord” it has signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could end up in relinquishing its unparalleled military domination in the Middle East. 

The normalization accord that has been brokered by US President Donald Trump and his Senior Advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner, has paved a way for UAE to now extend their hands on the much-coveted F-35 fighter jets, which had so far been exclusively supplied to Israel in the region. 

However, with Israel now reluctantly giving its consent for the UAE to become the first Arab nation to have access to the fighters, Netanyahu has slyly attached a string in the name of its growing military friendship with the US—a string that might just force Trump or his successor in selling the exclusive— F-22 Raptor fighter jet.

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WNU Editor: Not going to happen.

A Look At The F-22s Wing Tank Storage Facility

 

Warzone/The Drive: This F-22 Raptor Wing Tank Storage Facility Looks Like A Science Fiction Movie Set 

Very few things are simple in the fighter aircraft business, including storing and moving around giant external fuel tanks. 

F-22A Raptor is still as much of a modern marvel as it was when it entered service a decade and a half ago, but nothing about the world's first 5th generation stealth super-fighter, or really any modern fighter aircraft for that matter, is simple or cheap. 

Case in point, the place where the Raptor's 600-gallon external fuel tanks are stored at Langely AFB in Virginia, one of the USAF's biggest Raptor nests. 

Dubbed the Vertical Tank Storage System (VTSS), the indoor installation is like one of those dry cleaning conveyor racks, but it holds massive external fuel tanks, not shirts and sport coats. It was just featured in a number of cool photos from the 1st Fighter Wing's public affairs folks.

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WNU Editor: Tried to find out how much each fuel tank costs. No luck. But I would not be surprised if these tanks cost north of $100,000.