The F-22 Raptor: The Overlooked Apex Predator of Air Superiority – SOFREP News Team

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter may dominate headlines, but it was the F-22 Raptor that first defined the very concept of a fifth-generation fighter.

Built by Lockheed Martin, the F-22 was poised to revolutionize aerial combat before its production was abruptly halted at 187 units—just over half of the originally planned 381—due to defense budget cuts during the Obama administration.

Any hope of reviving production quickly evaporated as key manufacturing infrastructure was dismantled to prioritize the F-35 program.

Despite its limited numbers, the F-22 remains the pinnacle of air superiority fighters, unmatched in agility, speed, and stealth.

However, as the US Air Force pivots toward sixth-generation fighter development under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, the F-22 could face retirement before ever engaging in combat against true fifth-generation adversaries like Russia’s Su-57 or China’s J-20.

But should a confrontation arise, the Raptor still boasts several advantages that set it apart from every other stealth fighter in the sky.

1 | The Best Supercruise Capability of Any Fifth-Generation Fighter

The F-22’s supercruise ability allows it to maintain sustained supersonic speeds (Mach 1.5) without using afterburners, a capability neither Russia’s Su-57 nor China’s J-20 has successfully replicated.

Even the F-35, despite its advanced avionics, requires afterburners to achieve supersonic speeds. This gives the Raptor superior range and loiter time in a combat scenario—reaching targets faster while conserving more fuel than any other operational stealth fighter.

1) It Can Cruise Better Than Any Other Fifth Generation Fighter

2 | A Heavier Air-to-Air Missile Load Than the F-35

Both the F-22 and F-35 rely on internal weapons bays to maintain stealth, but the Raptor’s capacity far exceeds its Joint Strike Fighter counterpart.

The F-22 carries up to eight air-to-air missiles—six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9X Sidewinders—compared to the F-35’s standard internal payload of four. While Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new weapons rack allowing the F-35 to carry six missiles internally, the F-22 still retains the upper hand in raw air-to-air firepower.

3 | Unparalleled Thrust Vectoring for Extreme Maneuverability

Stealth is the F-22’s primary advantage, but when dogfighting is inevitable, its unmatched agility becomes a game-changer.

The Raptor’s twin Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines, each producing 35,000 pounds of thrust, are equipped with thrust-vectoring nozzles capable of independently adjusting their direction. This enables the F-22 to perform high-angle-of-attack maneuvers that defy conventional aerodynamics—such as pointing its nose downward toward an enemy aircraft while still moving forward.

This capability allows the F-22 to engage enemy fighters from angles where they are incapable of retaliating, a crucial advantage in close-quarters aerial combat.

While these extreme maneuvers momentarily sacrifice forward momentum, the Raptor’s powerful engines allow it to rapidly accelerate back to Mach 2.25, making it one of the fastest operational fighters in the world.

The F-22’s Future: Still a Lethal Predator

While discussions about phasing out the F-22 in favor of the NGAD program continue, the Raptor remains a dominant force in the skies. It is the only operational stealth fighter optimized for pure air superiority, and despite its aging production infrastructure, ongoing upgrades in avionics, radar, and weaponry ensure it remains lethal.

If a true fifth-generation air battle were to break out today, no aircraft in the world—including the J-20 or Su-57—could match the F-22’s combination of speed, agility, and firepower.

For now, the F-22 remains the undisputed apex predator of the air. Whether it ever gets to prove its full potential in combat, however, is a question only time will answer.

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This piece was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for clarity and accuracy.