hello everyone today we'll show you five reasons an f-22 Raptor restart is a terrible idea
recent cost overruns and issues with the f-35 have compelled political and military leaders
to reconsider ordering more f-22 Raptors the US Air Force was originally supposed to purchase 648
raptors back in 1991 but ended up only ordering 195 due to fiscal constraints while the military
could always use more fifth-generation fighters stealthy f-22s and f-35s there
are numerous issues that make such a decision to restart the f-22 production line problematic yet
for some reason the Air Force appears to have engrossed itself in the doctrinaire mindset of
transitioning all of its fighter aircraft to an all stealth fleet no matter the price tag
no matter the price tag or externalities such a ham-fisted approach might do to undermine American
airpower dominance in the future these are five reasons why more Raptors are not the answer
number one stealth is overrated
don't get me wrong American stealth aircraft technology is great but it's
not the end-all be-all of combat aviation to be fair stealth is the reason why the
military was able to easily overwhelm Iraq's air defense systems in 1991 and
again in 2003 helping establish air supremacy early on in both conflicts in both scenarios
stealth aircraft helped create permissive environments where non stealthy aircraft
could operate with impunity however if there is no credible enemy air defense or aircraft
stealth aircraft just aren't necessary as it is inefficient to use them due to
their prohibitive operating expenses worse yet due to design limitations of stealth aircraft
f-22s cannot carry anywhere near the same level of firepower found on an f-15e strike
eagle or f-16 viper stealthy f-22s should be used prudently for the right mission and job
number two Raptors are prohibitively expensive when f-22s were last built they cost around 150
million dollars per aircraft the current cost of fourth-generation fighters such as the f-15 C II
and f-16 are about thirty million dollars and fifty five million dollars respectively from a
long-term perspective operational costs matter too as the US Air Force reports that it costs about
$60,000 per flying hour for a raptor while the f-15 and f-16 cost about twenty to forty thousand
dollars per flying hour depending on aircraft mods there is a reason why some in the Pentagon view an
upgraded f-16 lock 60 or f15 Eagle C 2040 as a low cost alternative to overpriced fifth-generation
fighters such upgrades turn f-15s and f-16s into four and a half generation fighters which means
their sensor capabilities are on par with the f-22 but without the high price tag associated with
stealthiness finally one should seriously consider the rationale behind the pricey and unnecessary
deployment of f-22s to fight the Islamic state given the lack of enemy aircraft and air defenses
the a-10 is ideally suited for such a battle space and it can do the job inexpensively similarly a
recent test deployment of the Vietnam era a v10 Bronco performed extraordinarily well against
Islamic state fighters showing how insurgents could be fought on the cheap number three money
could be put to better use when you ask the average pilot what makes American airpower
the greatest in the world they would tell you it's a product of rigorous training superior
electronics and software and combat experience first the quality of our pilots are a function of
annual flight training and joint combat training exercises however recent budgetary constraints
have caused our military aviators to get less annual flight time than Chinese military pilots
second what really packs a punch on the f-22 f15 or f-16 these aircraft have advanced electronic
sensors in conjunction with state-of-the-art avionics and software such equipment helps
our aircraft shoot down enemy aircraft before they even know they've been spotted however
the sequester has slowed down four-and-a-half generation upgrades on f-15s and f-16s finally
American pilot combat experience is second to none giving the last couple of decades of aerial
warfare retaining cadres of highly experienced aviators is vital to maintaining the utmost of
readiness while training the next generation of combat pilots however budget cutbacks have caused
pilots to shoulder more administrative duties in conjunction with less flight hours it should be
no surprise that military aviators are leaving in droves for airline jobs which offer a higher
quality of life and better pay what's the point of a fancy fleet of f-22s if you don't have the
experience cadre of pilots to effectively employ them in combat Congress needs to provide the
necessary resources to entice highly experienced combat aviators to stay in service be it through
larger bonuses or more manpower to reduce administrative burdens on aviators number four
need to focus on sixth generation fighters the US military possesses more than 200 combat ready
fifth-generation fighters which is exponentially more than any other potential adversary for
example Russia has only built six stealthy t-50 fighter jets with intentions to build 60 due to
the rising cost similarly China has only built eight stealthy J 20s with supposed intentions of
building 500 to 700 at an estimated price tag of a hundred ten million dollars per aircraft although
given the recent economic slowdown in China these ambitions might be tempered by financial
realities much as they were in the United States and Russia since the United States already has a
massive fifth-generation edge we should be looking beyond the f-22 and invest in sixth
generation aircraft such aircraft systems will be designed to operate an anti access area denial
environments with reach persistence survivability net centricity situational awareness human system
integration and weapons effect buying more f-22s now.just undermines American airpower dominance
20 years in the future number 5 diversifying the aircraft fleet the future of radar technology and
electronic warfare will create highly contested battle spaces where at f-22 which is overly
reliant on networks and sensors to be effective could be reduced to a flying paperweight forcing
the Raptor into within visual range dogfights something that was never designed to do in beyond
visual range engagement f-22s handily defeat any and all fourth generation fighter aircraft even
when greatly outnumbered however within visual range dogfight exercises have shown that f-22
is not immune against fourth generation fighters finally with the possibility of drones swarm air
combat f-22s may become effectively worthless against thousands of cheaply produced drones
diversification of America's fighter fleet means retaining specific roles for certain
aircraft not just putting all of our eggs in the costly f-22 baskets ultimately the
US military needs the stealthy f-22 to deter and deny conventional adversaries
abroad as it serves an important purpose in the military arsenal
providing first strike capabilities which are crucial for attaining air dominance
however the blind pursuit of an all stealth fighter fleet is financially untenable and
creates new vulnerabilities and weaknesses the US military is better off investing in
the retention of its best pilots and/or purchasing more f-15s and f-16s and upgrading them which is
a more pragmatic and beneficial strategy given the implications of trying to make more f-22