F-22 Raptor Thread

[LesAdieux]

I'm sorry if somebody posted this in some other thread:

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cnn has this report:

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the Raptor entered service in 2005, this is its first combat action. it intercepted Russian bombers off Alaska a few days back.

 

[FORBIN]

It was used i presume especially as a precaution against Syrian SAM in particular close Dayr az-Zawr with around 4 SAM sites with about 15 SA-6 listed by SOC, about one flight of F-22 max i think.
But now SAM is always present ? all others target don' t get SAM that is the East of Syria least defended.

Syrian Air Defense was very large before the conflict began several hundred launchers but now ? besides the radar network is diminished and almost all this SAM are old more vulnerable to ECM.

And it was also a chance to use F-22 in combat mission.

 

[Air Force Brat]

Well, just because there is no AWACS and because it is not BVR, does not mean that the stealth advantage of the F-22 is nullified. They still have to get eyes on them...and that is not easy to do with the F-22, evn if it is within "visual range."

In the mean time, the F-22 will be able to use both their eyeballs and their radars to find the adversary.

But the ROEs can further clarify that advantage. In some cases the ROEs indicate that the fight has to be with IR guided weapons and guns.

If it is just guns, then I agree that the F-22s stealth is largely negated.

But if it includes IR weapons, the F-22's IR stealth is very good.

Yes, the F-22 saw its first action in Syria the night before last, Jeff you or Jura may want to link a couple of blurbs from todays AFM Daily Report on more specific details???

I'm off to skool, and yes I am Teutonic

 

[Jura The idiot]

Sept 23/14: First combat strikes. The Pentagon touts how F-22s were used in their first combat role during strikes against ISIS in Syria. The aircraft dropped GPS-guided munitions and destroyed a building believed to be used for command and control purposes. Which makes the insurgents look like a regular military, but in some way that is how they have been fighting in past months. Given the relatively limited damage shown in the before/after pictures external link [PDF] released by DoD, as well as a video of one of the strikes, the bombs used were more likely mostly SDB-Is, possibly with a few of 4x heavier JDAMs thrown in for good measure.

The mission looks a bit out of character and underwhelming for what is primarily an air-to-air fighter, but the F-22 does have air-to-ground capabilities. Penetration against Syrian air defenses might have been an issue making the case for stealth, but then F-15s, F-16s and even UAVs were used in the same wave against northern Syria.

according to

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[Jeff Head]

according to

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The F-35s are not ready yet.

The Syrians have a credible, modern air defense system.

It was probably thought that Assad would not counter or attempt to prevent these attacks against his enemy...and doing something to them he cannot do himself.

But you never know. With the F-22's stealth, and with its capability to carry A2G munitions in its weapons bay...this mission for the F-22s insured that the Syrians could not interdict, was a lot safer, and just made a lot of sense.

As I say, ultimately the F-35s will perform this role...but they are not ready yet.

 

[Air Force Brat]

The F-35s are not ready yet.

The Syrians have a credible, modern air defense system.

It was probably thought that Assad would not counter or attempt to prevent these attacks against his enemy...and doing something to them he cannot do himself.

But you never know. With the F-22's stealth, and with its capability to carry A2G munitions in its weapons bay...this mission for the F-22s insured that the Syrians could not interdict, was a lot safer, and just made a lot of sense.

As I say, ultimately the F-35s will perform this role...but they are not ready yet.

Right, and the F-22 is by far the go to bird for any mission in contested airspace, from all indications, nobody knew she was even there, what did James Earl Jones say,,,,,, and I was never here! Love it, if anybody had any real sense, they would fire the F-22 line up again, 500-700 of those chicks would be gravy,,,, if not we better put the F-22 boys on flight sims and go to a platform preservation mode, saving 60 or so airframes back for the 2030s and beyond.... The Air Force has to quit beating on these chicks, they will break, and I hope we're learning that from breaking our F-15s and F-16s.... you can't go out and "hammer" them 24/7,,, these airplanes have to last through this dry spell, the F-35 will take up the slack, but it won't cut it if PAK-FA or the J-20 are close to the F-22 and built in numbers, well it will, be it won't be "optimal". ATX will be a while, and it sounds like the Air Force doesn't know its butt, from a hole in the ground when it comes to a vision for ATX-----good grief???

 

[Blitzo]

The F-35s are not ready yet.

The Syrians have a credible, modern air defense system.

It was probably thought that Assad would not counter or attempt to prevent these attacks against his enemy...and doing something to them he cannot do himself.

But you never know. With the F-22's stealth, and with its capability to carry A2G munitions in its weapons bay...this mission for the F-22s insured that the Syrians could not interdict, was a lot safer, and just made a lot of sense.

As I say, ultimately the F-35s will perform this role...but they are not ready yet.

I don't necessarily buy that -- unstealthy F-15s, F-16s, and drones also participated in the attack within Syria. If there are indications that the F-22's ground targets were closer to Syrian air defences then sure, I can understand why the F-22 was used for that particular target.

But otherwise, it seems like that target could have been destroyed by any non stealthy striker as well.

 

[AssassinsMace]

I wonder if this means we'll see Americans getting a look near a J-20 in a quid pro quo.

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[Blitzo]

... Are those actually PLAAF personnel?? Context??

I mean, I doubt they saw anything which you wouldn't be able to see at an airshow, maybe even less. But still, there is some interesting symbolism behind this photo. It would be nice to return the gesture one day with j-20 once it enters service.

And +1 for the random bulldog.

 

[AssassinsMace]

It's some tour for PLAAF officers in Alaska.