F-22 Will Control Drones from the Cockpit

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington D.C.) As a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the F-22 is specifically engineered for air supremacy and air dominance missions, meaning its radar-evading technology is designed to elude and destroy enemy air defenses.

The aircraft is also configured to function as the world’s premier air-to-air fighter able to “dogfight” and readily destroy enemy aircraft.

Behind the Wheel

The F-22’s command and control sensors and avionics help other coalition aircraft identify and destroy targets. While some of the aircraft’s technologies are not “publically discussable,” Air Force F-22 pilots and weapons developers say that the F-22’s active and passive sensors allow it to function as an “aerial quarterback” allowing the mission to unfold.

For example, drawing upon information from a ground-based command and control center or nearby surveillance plane – such as a Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) – the F-22 can receive information or target coordinates from nearby drones.

At the moment, targeting information from drones is relayed from the ground station back up to an F-22.

However, computer algorithms and technology are evolving such that aircraft like an F-22 will soon be able to quickly view drone video feeds in the cockpit without needing a ground station – and eventually be able to control nearby drones from the air.

The F-22 is known for a range of technologies including an ability called “supercruise,” which enables the fighter to reach speeds of Mach 1.5 without needing to turn on its afterburners. This increases the jet’s operating envelope in terms of both speed and range, giving it an advantage over other fighters.