by Kris Osborn President, Center for Military Modernization
The Air Force and Lockheed Martin have developed several new weapons for the F-22 Raptor to equip the stealth fighter with more long-range precision attack technology, a wider targeting envelope or “field of regard,” and new networking technology enabling improved, real-time “collaborative targeting” between aircraft.
Readiness for the F-22, senior Air Force officials explain, hinges upon a new software delivery strategy that sees incremental improvements less as “products” for pre-planned, spread apart adjustments – but rather a steady continuous “pipeline” of\The two new weapons, which have been under testing and development for several years now, are advanced variants of existing weapons – the AIM-9X air-to-air missile and the AIM 120-D. Upgraded variants of each are now operational.
The new AIM-9X will shoot farther and reach a much larger targeting envelope for pilots. Working with a variety of helmets and display systems, Lockheed developers have added “off-boresight” targeting ability enabling pilots to attack enemies from a wide range of new angles. Raytheon’s AIM-9X weapons developers have told WarriorMaven that the Block 2 variant adds a redesigned fuze and a digital ignition safety device that enhances ground handling and in-flight safety.
Block II also features updated electronics that enable significant enhancements, including lock-on-after-launch capability using a new weapon datalink to support beyond visual range engagements, a Raytheon statement said.
Another part of the weapons upgrade includes engineering the F-22 to fire the AIM-120D, a beyond visual range Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), designed for all weather day-and-night attacks; it is a “fire and forget” missile with active transmit radar guidance, Raytheon data states.
The AIM-120D is built with upgrades to previous AMRAAM missiles by increasing attack range, GPS navigation, inertial measurement units, and a two-way data link, a Raytheon statement explains.
As the Air Force and Lockheed Martin move forward with weapons envelope expansions and enhancements for the F-22, there is a commensurate need to upgrade software and its onboard sensors to adjust to emerging future threats, industry developers explained. Ultimately, this effort will lead the Air Force to draft up requirements for new F-22 sensors.
F-22 lethality is seeing vast improvements through the integration of new two-way LINK 16 data link connectivity between aircraft, something which will help expedite real-time airborne “collaborative targeting.”
Having a digital ability to transmit fast-changing, combat-relevant targeting information from an F-22 cockpit – without needing voice radios – lessens the risk associated with more “jammable” or “hackable” communications.
F-22 Technologies
Newer F-22s have a technology called Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, which uses electromagnetic signals or “pings” to deliver a picture or rendering of the terrain below, allowing better target identification. The SAR technology sends a ping to the ground and then analyzes the return signal to calculate the contours, distance, and characteristics of the ground below.
The F-22 is also known for its “super cruise” technology which enables the fighter to reach speeds of Mach 1.5 without needing to turn on its afterburners. This enables the fighter to travel faster and farther on less fuel, a scenario that expands its time for combat missions.
The fighter jet fires a 20mm cannon and has the ability to carry and fire all the air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons including precision-guided ground bombs, such as Joint Direct Attack Munitions called the GBU 32 and GBU 39. It also uses what’s called a radar-warning receiver – a technology with an updateable database called “mission data files” designed to recognize a wide range of enemy fighters, much like the F-35.
A US Air Force (USAF) F/A-22 Raptor, flown by USAF Major (MAJ) David Thole, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES), Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada (NV), heads out to the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) for an operational test mission.
Made by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the F-22 uses two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, an Air Force statement said. It is 16 feet tall, 62 feet long, and weighs 43,340 pounds. Its maximum take-off weight is 83,500 pounds.
The aircraft was first introduced in December of 2005; the F-22 Raptor fighter jet delivered some of the first strikes in the U.S.-led attacks on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria when aerial bombing began in 2014.
After delivering some of the first strikes in the U.S.-led coalition military action against ISIS, the F-22 shifted its focus from an air-dominance mission to one more focused on supporting attacks on the ground. For the long term, given that the Air Force plans to fly the F-22 well into the 2060s, these weapons upgrades are engineered to build the technical foundation needed to help integrate a new generation of air-to-air missiles as they emerge in coming years.
Author Expertise and Biography
Kris Osborn is the Military Affairs Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven- Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
