OT: F-22A Raptor goes operational

[BladeLWS]

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123013572

 

Here it is folks. The 27th Fighter Squadron has gone fully operational with twelve F-22A Raptors, they are combat ready. They say if the Air Force goes to war tomorrow, the Raptors go to. Lets hope we don't have to use it, but god help anyone who has to go up against it, because it will show no mercy.

[Pilotasso]

The general said, “To add to what we learned on our successful first operational deployment to the Utah Test and Training Range to drop JDAMs (joint direct attack munition), fly against double-digit SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) at Nellis and work (close air support) with F-16 FAC-As, we will conduct our first routine peacetime exercise deployment by taking 12 Raptors to Alaska in June for Northern Edge.”

 

haha they barely had it IOC'ed and they are already going to give the russians "a message" LOL.

[Guest EVIL-SCOTSMAN]

They say if the Air Force goes to war tomorrow, the Raptors go to.

am i missing something, or are we not already at war ???

 

send em to iraq, so they can get pwnd by rpgs, and stun everyone :p

[23rd_Drago]

haha they barely had it IOC'ed and they are already going to give the russians "a message" LOL.

 

IMHO more likely they’re heading there to show-off their new toy, then to deliver a “message”. Kind of weak message don’t you think… considering the whole world can be destroyed 5x over with just one push of a button.

[504 Wolverine]

Strange the amount of "Uber L337 F-22" posts this weather. Is there a fishing competition that I don't know about. ;)

[dynamocl]

am i missing something, or are we not already at war ???

 

send em to iraq, so they can get pwnd by rpgs, and stun everyone :p

 

Yeah, how good are they with the new world threat of terrorism? Stealth must be really benefically for hunting down terrorists.

[D-Scythe]

Yeah, how good are they with the new world threat of terrorism? Stealth must be really benefically for hunting down terrorists.

 

Supercruise is ;)

[Reticuli]

The aircraft is pretty damned impressive. Those engines and that airframe together are the most amazing synergy of aircraft technology ever. Compare the fairly realistic capabilities of the 22 in Total Air War to those of the the very realistic depiction in Janes F-15 and you'll see the difference. It's a mindboggling advance over anything else out there. Its optimum cruise altitude is over 40,000ft at mach 1.5, with a 5000nm range with just internal fuel...and the thing can actually maneuver up there as if it were flying much lower. The kenematics of its weapons with that capability, combined with stealth...my god, we are going to be so spoiled by it.

[Kula66]

That is a scary weapon system ... still only armed with 6 x 120s ... I hope they work better than the ones in LO! ;)

[TucksonSonny]

The aircraft is pretty damned impressive. Those engines and that airframe together are the most amazing synergy of aircraft technology ever. Compare the fairly realistic capabilities of the 22 in Total Air War to those of the the very realistic depiction in Janes F-15 and you'll see the difference. It's a mindboggling advance over anything else out there. Its optimum cruise altitude is over 40,000ft at mach 1.5, with a 5000nm range with just internal fuel...and the thing can actually maneuver up there as if it were flying much lower. The kenematics of its weapons with that capability, combined with stealth...my god, we are going to be so spoiled by it.

 

Pfff, what is the deal. Almost a year ago the hundredth eurofighter went operational and more than 700 will follow.

 

Occasionally I cruise on line for about 60km at mach 2.3 with the Su-27 @ 15km alt with 2 R-73’s left.

The Raptor can’t even go over mach 2. :icon_supe

[Guest IguanaKing]

Pfff, what is the deal. Almost a year ago the hundredth eurofighter went operational and more than 700 will follow.

 

Occasionally I cruise on line for about 60km at mach 2.3 with the Su-27 @ 15km alt with 2 R-73’s left.

The Raptor can’t even go over mach 2. :icon_supe

 

Yes, but can the Su-27 fly even at Mach 1.5 without using afterburner? The ability to reach a top speed in excess of Mach 2 isn't really all that important if you end up running out of fuel in the process. ;)

[BladeLWS]

The only thing the Su27's afterburner is going to help in the event of the running into a Raptor is turning tail and run. ;)

 

Also the Raptor can carry more than 6 AMRAAM's. It can carry external stores making a total of FOURTEEN (14) AMRAAM's in its ferry config. Although this would destroy its RCS you wouldn't wanna tango with anything with that much firepower.

 

The external payloads would probably only be used when the Raptor was going to be carrying JDAM's in a hostile air enviroment. And i'd like to see any other aircraft drop a JDAM going supersonic. ;)

 

[Guest IguanaKing]

Yup...and the F-22 could choose to continue the pursuit and force the Su to fight or just keep running until his tanks are dry and he has to punch out. There's a lot to be said for supercruise in the F-22 definition of the term...afterburner eats an INSANE amount of fuel.

[ФрогФут]

And does ANYONe know, what Indians saw in last visit to MiG, so they decided to buy it? I think, they know of F/A-22A and what they need to be ready to welcome it.:)

So don't say, F-22 is allmighty.:)

[GGTharos]

And does ANYONe know, what Indians saw in last visit to MiG, so they decided to buy it? I think, they know of F/A-22A and what they need to be ready to welcome it.:)

So don't say, F-22 is allmighty.:)

 

India is more worried about Pakistan's F-16's than F-22's.

 

The F-22 is quite almighty and MiGs won't have much of a chance against it ;)

 

The USAF flat out stated that even the AMRAAM would experience severe difficulties tracking a stealth aircraft, and right now the AMRAAM is regarded as the best fielded missile out there.

[ФрогФут]

India is more worried about Pakistan's F-16's than F-22's.

 

The F-22 is quite almighty and MiGs won't have much of a chance against it ;)

 

The USAF flat out stated that even the AMRAAM would experience severe difficulties tracking a stealth aircraft, and right now the AMRAAM is regarded as the best fielded missile out there.

You already know, what MiG's 5 gen is? WoW!:D

[BladeLWS]

The MiG would run out a fuel before it got close enough to fire at a F-22 if it even got a lock. But it won't even get close, as the new AIM-120D's outrange the R-77's.

[Guest IguanaKing]

And does ANYONe know, what Indians saw in last visit to MiG, so they decided to buy it? I think, they know of F/A-22A and what they need to be ready to welcome it.:)

So don't say, F-22 is allmighty.:)

 

 

Hmmm...I don't suppose the MUCH LOWER price tag had anything to do with it, that and the fact that the Indian Air Force has been using Russian aircraft for decades. ;) Besides, the F-22 isn't available for export, so I'm not sure what your comparison is about. :p

[S77th-konkussion]

Occasionally I cruise on line for about 60km at mach 2.3 with the Su-27 @ 15km alt with 2 R-73’s left.

 

Barbra Streisand.

[BladeLWS]

Barbra Streisand.

:eek:

[TucksonSonny]

Yes, but can the Su-27 fly even at Mach 1.5 without using afterburner? The ability to reach a top speed in excess of Mach 2 isn't really all that important if you end up running out of fuel in the process. ;)

 

 

It could be important with an ET on your six.

BTW, there still is mid air-refueling.

Of course I do understand that there is a huge advantage for the 22 to penetrate deep into enemy territory. There is also another question open: Is the 22 save in a SA-10 (latest versions) environment.

[BladeLWS]

It could be important with an ET on your six.

BTW, there still is mid air-refueling.

 

Of course I do understand that there is a huge advantage for the 22 to penetrate deep into enemy territory. There is also another question open: Is the 22 save in a SA-10 (latest versions) environment.

 

Mid air refueling won't help because standard US warplanning takes those out in the first fight, those would probably be the Raptor's first targets along with AWAC's. Remember you can run for a little while and hook up to a tanker, but the Raptor is still coming with plenty of fuel and while you're hooked up to the hose you're dead meat, as tankers only fly around 300 knots.

 

I wouldn't see any problem from an SA-10 as a Raptor is extremely hard to be tracked on radar and it hasn't been tracked by our next gen Patriots or the new THAAD system. Anyways one JDAM from a supersonic F-22 would take that out with no problem.

 

The only way I could see it being detected by a SA-10 would be if the bay doors were open. But since they aren't pilot controled like the F-117 and B-2 it wouldn't have enough time to lock on. The computers would probably squelch it out. Thats how the F-117 in Serbia was downed. It's bay doors were open.

[S77th-konkussion]

The "comparisons" taking place here are nothing more than jealous whining. Be sure that the praise would be non stop if the plane belonged to any one but America.

[Dice]

I do so love watching the debate.

[Guest IguanaKing]

It could be important with an ET on your six.

BTW, there still is mid air-refueling.

 

Of course I do understand that there is a huge advantage for the 22 to penetrate deep into enemy territory. There is also another question open: Is the 22 save in a SA-10 (latest versions) environment.

 

So, another aircraft, other than the F-22, could use its afterburner to accelerate to somewhere near the top speed of the ET...what is it Mach 4? How long did it take your Su-27 to accelerate from subsonic speeds without afterburner, to a speed the F-22 would have been already traveling at without afterburner...then beyond that to give the Su-27 some sort of "advantage" in evading an A-A missile? I'm thinking it would be a bit longer than it took that missile to cover the same distance. ;)

 

To answer the second question: No, the F-22 is not safe in an SA-10 environment (regardless of version) or any other threat environment...it is simply safER than conventional aircraft. Regardless of the threats in place, the aircraft with the lower RCS is always going to have an advantage in the area of detection.

 

I think that if the F-22s detractors were to watch the Discovery documentary on the B-2, they might understand the tactical value of stealth. The program has a very nice CG depiction of the advantage of low RCS. It doesn't make radar engagement envelopes disappear altogether, it just makes them smaller.