How the Air Force Plans to Keep the F-22 Raptor Relevant in the Drone Age

 


The F-22 Raptor fighter jet is being integrated with the MQ-20 Avenger drone—leading to hopes that the two might pair up in future air combat.

The United States Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor has often been touted as the world’s leading air superiority fighter, even though it has never engaged in air-to-air combat with a manned aircraft. Its role in combat has been limited—but that could soon change, as flight-tracking data showed at least a dozen F-22s deployed to the Middle East as part of the US military’s build-up in the region.

If Iran does not acquiesce to President Donald Trump’s demands regarding the state of the country’s nuclear program, the US is expected to conduct strikes on Iran in the weeks to come. The F-22 would almost certainly play a role in any attacks, along with the multirole F-35 Lightning II.

The deployment of the Raptors is significant.

“It indicates preparation for a more aggressive stance toward Iran and potential cooperation with Israel in an attack,” Air Force Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David A. Deptula, dean at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told The New York Times. “It signals that the US is serious about attacking if Iran does not agree to US terms.”

Over the past decade, F-22s have taken part in ground strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. They also reportedly escorted and provided support during last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran, which hit and significantly degraded the country’s nuclear facilities.

The F-22 Raptor’s Specifications

  • Year Introduced: 2005
  • Number Built: 195 (including 8 test aircraft)
  • Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.9 m)
  • Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.6 m)
  • Weight (MTOW): 83,500 lb (37,900 kg)
  • Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans with thrust vectoring
  • Top Speed: Mach 2.25 (~1,500 mph or 2,414 km/h)
  • Range: ~1,839 mi (2,960 km) with internal fuel
  • Service Ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m)
  • Loadout: M61A2 20 mm rotary cannon; up to 6 AIM-120 AMRAAMs and 2 AIM-9 Sidewinders in internal bays; external hardpoints
  • Aircrew: 1

The F-22 Could Soon Get “Loyal Wingman” Drones

The F-22 Raptors deployed to the Middle East could serve as wingmen for the B-2, but in the future, the air superiority fighters could be supported by unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that act as force multipliers.

Early this month, the US Air Force conducted demonstrations of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI’s) MQ-20 Avenger unmanned jet alongside an F-22 outfitted with reference autonomy software.

“The test, which showcased Manned-Unmanned Teaming between the F-22 and MQ-20, leveraged autonomy and the tactical data link to enable coordination between the platforms,” GA-ASI explained. “The mission included a live engagement between the MQ-20 and the F-22 as the command aircraft flown by an onboard human pilot, highlighting the ability to receive and execute teaming commands.”

The test flight took place earlier this month at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California. It demonstrated the Air Force’s “Manned-Unmanned Teaming” involving “software integration” between the manned Raptor and the UAS. The drone was able to exchange messages with the F-22, and the human pilot could then send “autonomy commands” to the UAS using the “Autonodyne Bashi Pilot Vehicle Interface” (PVI).

The MQ-20 UAS was directed to execute a variety of tactical maneuvers, adjust its waypoints, and even perform a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) flight while carrying out airborne-threat engagement tasks. It also highlighted how UAS could serve as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and serve as force multipliers for the manned aircraft.

“We appreciate the flawless execution of this mission using the government’s advanced autonomous systems,” explained GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “This demo featured the integration of mission elements and the ability of autonomy to utilize onboard sensors to make independent decisions and execute commands from the F-22.”

This month’s tests follow another conducted last fall between the F-22 and GA-ASI’s system at the Nevada Test and Training Range.

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