F-15 Better Interceptor than F-22

[longknife]

All those billions and the F-22 falls short in an encounter with a Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable bomber and Su-35 fighters.

Why? Because the Russian fighter is more maneuverable. Only the superior training of American pilots give the F-22 a chance.

But with today's rules of engagement, the F-22's huge advantages in stealth mean little.

During an intercept, a jet pulls up next to the plane that has invaded its airspace and tells the plane, via radio, some version of "turn around, or this will escalate."

At this time, it's customary for the jet to tilt its wings and show the intruder a wing full of missiles. But the F-22 could never do that; because of its stealth design, the F-22 stores all missiles and bombs internally.

A pilot intruding into US or US-protected airspace who meets an F-22 really has no idea whether the jet is armed. The Russian Su-35 holds more missiles than the F-22, and it holds them where everyone can see.

On top of that, if a routine interception were to turn kinetic, the F-22 would start the battle at a huge disadvantage.

Much more @ US F-22s came face-to-face with Russia's top fighter near Alaska and were at a major disadvantage

 

[JoeB131]

I think you miss the point. The F-22's purpose was to divert billions in tax dollars to rich people.

I'm sorry you didn't get the memo.

 

[Daryl Hunt]

All those billions and the F-22 falls short in an encounter with a Russian Tu-95 nuclear-capable bomber and Su-35 fighters.

Why? Because the Russian fighter is more maneuverable. Only the superior training of American pilots give the F-22 a chance.

But with today's rules of engagement, the F-22's huge advantages in stealth mean little.

During an intercept, a jet pulls up next to the plane that has invaded its airspace and tells the plane, via radio, some version of "turn around, or this will escalate."

At this time, it's customary for the jet to tilt its wings and show the intruder a wing full of missiles. But the F-22 could never do that; because of its stealth design, the F-22 stores all missiles and bombs internally.

A pilot intruding into US or US-protected airspace who meets an F-22 really has no idea whether the jet is armed. The Russian Su-35 holds more missiles than the F-22, and it holds them where everyone can see.

On top of that, if a routine interception were to turn kinetic, the F-22 would start the battle at a huge disadvantage.

Much more @ US F-22s came face-to-face with Russia's top fighter near Alaska and were at a major disadvantage

Actually, the F-15 would be the better choice. But the SU-35 would know that just over the horizon would be a couple of F-22s watching undetected.

 

[DrainBamage]

A pilot intruding into US or US-protected airspace who meets an F-22 really has no idea whether the jet is armed. The Russian Su-35 holds more missiles than the F-22, and it holds them where everyone can see.

This has got to be the dumbest thing I've read in a long time. Anyone encountering an F-22 interception is going to assume it's armed with missiles, nobody is going to glance at it and assume it's unarmed because they can't see the missiles.

 

[cnm]

This has got to be the dumbest thing I've read in a long time.

Especially that 'invaded its airspace' bit. Smh.

 

[Natural Citizen]

The Chinese J-20 seems like a sweet ride. It's similar to the F-22 in amost every way. From what I've read, its stealth capability is comparable to that of the F-22, aside from maybe catching a little blip on its six.

 

[DrainBamage]

During an intercept, a jet pulls up next to the plane that has invaded its airspace and tells the plane, via radio, some version of "turn around, or this will escalate."

This part is equally hilarious.

A peacetime intercept isn't representative of the wartime role of an interceptor aircraft. It's mainly posturing as they practice their airspace penetration exercises and has little relevance to the performance of the aircraft. Russia is not going to try to get a surprise jump on a war by sending a couple SU-35s towards Alaska then suddenly making it into a turning dogfight hoping that of the thousands of aircraft they can splash two for free.

The author of this bullshit is celebrating an SU-35 bristling with more external missiles but that isn't a strength it's a weakness. Hanging 8-12 big Russian AAMs on the wings makes that aircraft much easier to see on radar, much slower, less maneuverable, and effect combat range. Aircraft that carry weapons internally don't suffer these penalties.

In a wartime intercept the F-22 has even greater advantage in rules of engagement because it can track from distance using AESA in low probability of intercept mode then close to identify and target contacts passively by their RF signature, and if for some reason it needed visual it's going to approach from above and behind so the other plane wouldn't even know it was there. The only fighter that could see an F-22 coming from behind is an F-35 because it has 360 degree electro-optical sensors.

 

[longknife]

Just read where the AF is not going ahead with an F-15 upgrade and will not rebuild the F-22.

 

[Sonc]

Why? Because the Russian fighter is more maneuverable.

In a modern air battle this is not very important.

 

[Pilot1]

State of the art avionics, stealth, multiple target acquisition capability are more important, and the F-22 has them all.

 

[Sonc]

I agree.

 

[Daryl Hunt]

Just read where the AF is not going ahead with an F-15 upgrade and will not rebuild the F-22.

They are going ahead with the upgrades to the F-15s. They just aren't going to be buying any new ones. And they aren't going to restart the F-22 line. They do intend in the next few years to start the new FXX line (6thgen) line though. It would take almost as long to start the F-22 line as it would to start from scratch the 6th gen fighter so why bother with something that will be obsolete by then. The F-22 is top of the heap now but in the next 10 years or so,it's not going to be. Something will come along like another fighter, a sat system or a ground system that will negate it. And the F-15 is in the same boat. You negate the F-22, all other fighters are immediately negated that rely on the F-22 and F-35 for support.