The low number of F-22s produced placed the unit cost at an astronomical $350 million per aircraft. But the heavy investment yielded a truly astonishing plane.

The F-22 Raptor is likely going to be phased out in the coming years in favor of the as-yet-undeveloped Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth-generation fighter. Yet regardless of a pending retirement, the F-22 has been, and indeed still is, regarded as the world’s preeminent air superiority fighter.

Developed in the 1990s as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the F-22 was basically an entire generation ahead of the curve. The world’s first operational fifth-generation fighter, the F-22 represented a watershed in aerospace development, and established a new standard that most nations are still today incapable of matching.

Introducing the F-22 Raptor

The ATF program was initiated in 1981 to replace the F-15 and F-16 fighters, which the U.S. assumed would become outdated with the debut of increasingly capable Soviet aircraft like the Su-27 and MiG-29. The ATF program solicited bids on an aircraft that would exceed all known aircraft. Two firms submitted proposals to the ATF program. The first was Lockheed, who submitted their YF-22 prototype. The second was Northrop, who submitted their YF-23 prototype. The YF-22 won the contract, and would be developed into the F-22 we know today.

Whereas fourth-generation American fighters like the F-14, F-15, and F-16 were exported on the international market, the F-22 was deemed far too precious to sell. For fear that the F-22’s cutting-edge technology would fall into the hands of U.S. adversaries, who could then perhaps reverse engineer the F-22’s novel technologies, the F-22 was banned for export.

The Raptor’s production run did not last long. Designed to counter Soviet and comparable threats during great power competition, the F-22 debuted in a time of U.S. unipolarity, during which America engaged in counterinsurgency warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan against adversaries who lacked sophisticated air superiority fighters or air defense systems. Said another way, by the time the F-22 entered service, the U.S. didn’t really need it. Production ceased as a result, with fewer than 200 units made, meaning the F-22’s massive research and development costs were only diffused across a few hundred units, resulting in an astronomically high cost per unit (about $350 million).

But the heavy investment yielded a truly astonishing aircraft. The F-22 was the first fifth-generation jet ever fielded. And although the F-22’s stealth technology has since fallen out of date, its air superiority capabilities are still first rate. Furthermore, the F-22 was the first operational aircraft to feature a combination of supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion technology. The build of the craft was aesthetically and functionally futuristic, with shoulder-mounted, diamond-shape delta wings that are blended smoothly into the fuselage, an internal weapons bay, and a polycarbonate bubble canopy coated with a thin layer of gold.

Indeed, the F-22 is a gorgeous and capable jet. But with the ever-increasing sophistication of adversary air defense systems, the F-22’s outdated stealth performance makes the jet vulnerable in contested airspace—putting its future as an air superiority fighter in question.      

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image: Shutterstock.

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