Is the F-22 The Best Fighter in the World?  Speed, Stealth, Vectoring & The Highest Thrust-to-Weight Ratio

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington DC) 

The F-22s air supremacy can be observed through its pure speed, vectoring ability, stealth and thrust to weight ratio. All fighter jets are listed with specs indicating a maximum speed which is achieved at altitude and often at 50-percent fuel capacity. While its top speed of 2.25 Mach is quite similar to the Russian Su-27 and Su-35, listed at speeds of Mach 2.35 and 2.25 respectively, the F-22 appears to have distinct advantages over these 4th-gen Russian aircraft in terms of stealth and ever-critical thrust-to-weight ratio.

Looking across available specs showing top speed and thrust-to-weight ratio of top Russian, US and Chinese fighter jets, it seems the F-22 is equivalent to or faster than any top fighter jet in the world, yet its singular superior attribute seems to be its thrust-to-weight ratio. When combined with top speed, the F-22s highest-in-the-world 1.25 thrust to weight ratio would explain its vectoring and dog-fighting superiority. Interestingly, the 4th-generation F-15 is also listed with a comparable, best-in-the world 1.26 thrust-to-weight ratio nearly identical to the F-22. World Defense has the F-22’s Thrust-to-Weight ratio even higher at 1.37 when the aircraft uses “round nozzles.”

Many of the specific reasons why the F-22 Raptor is so revered as a pre-eminent global air-dominance platform may simply not be available for security reasons, yet its dogfighting capabilities, speed, vectoring and stealth have been cited and referred to by observers, Pentagon leaders, weapons analysts and leading experts for many year.

Why is the F-22 regarded as superior?

First used in combat against ISIS in 2014, the F-22 has shown its dogfighting prowess in many wargames throughout the years and received a large measure of performance enhancing upgrades. The stealth coating has been preserved and reinforced, and a sweeping 3.2b software upgrade in recent years has massively improved its weapons performance. The range, security and guidance systems of the AIM-9X and AIM-120D have been greatly improved across the fleet to better position the aircraft against 5th-generation adversaries. Enhancements include the “hardening” of weapons targeting guidance systems, precision, flight path trajectory and range. Additional enhancements such as upgraded AESA radar, new sensor possibilities and improvements to two-way communication between F-22 and F-35s and 4th-generation aircraft.