The what-ifs are tossed about as
Generation 4.5 F-22 resurgence appears on the horizon. The F-22 could impact
the F-35 and it should not become a reality until the F-35 reaches IOC or has
proven its fifth generation status in actual world time duties. The F-22,
became a much beleaguered program so much that Lockheed Martin were only
allowed to build 187 of its type during the first decade of the 21st century.
However, things happen such as ISIS, Iraq and all things terrible in the world
and the F-22 had a real world shake down.
It proved
to be a real fighter, and so much better than a 4.0 fighters, the Air Force
wants another (at least) 200 F-22 in its inventory. It’s truly a remarkable
aircraft as it covers the battle field with two engines and can benefit from
the F-35 development. The F-35 and F-22 have a symbiotic relationship.
Everything learned on the F-35 program may transfer to the F-22 standing
inventory. The Air Force would like to increase its standing F-22 force as the
world's most capable fighter in its time slot. The F-35 can give the F-22 some
of its highly developed and secret capabilities. The F-22 is very fast with two
engines and has Gen 4.5 stealth capability. It’s a blue collar fighter with all
the bells and whistles that any adversary regrets meeting in air space. It can
out fly China, Russia and any other nations most advanced fighter.
The F-22
will give the F-35 more time in the tinkering shop to make it whole. If the
F-35 is a fifty year airplane, then its concurrency has fallen behind its fifty
year objectives through its slow maturation into service. The F-22 can cover
for F-35 as a wing man would in aerial combat. It can give much needed cover
for F-35 maturation process working out "all" its kinks. A decision
needs to be made in 2016 whether or not to restart the F-22 production.
If or
when any production starts, it will transfer a cost to the F-35 program through
the number of its own units built. It was once conceived that 3,000 F-35's
would be built during its life cycle. That unit number has dropped as cost on
its development have increased. The pentagon and congress will have to come to
terms soon how they will manage two projects and maintain effective levels for
the F-35's development.
The
answer is simple, for every F-22 built, one F-35 will be struck from its
production run. Since every F-22 built is very capable of replacing a one for
one F-35 struck from production, the Air Force will maintain its over-all
capability. If building only two hundred more F-22's, then there will be 200
less F-35 built over its program life. The only detrimental caveat is the cost
of production ramp-up for the F-22 is very expensive. That costs may reduce
total F-35 units even more by reducing its air wings size more than
planned.
If the US
is planning a Generation 6 JSF, then it makes sense to cap the F-35 force to a
significant number such as 1,800 having another two hundred F-22's at its
flanks making the composite force of F-22's and F-35's equaling about 2,200
aircraft in the US Air Force. Counting F-15, F-16 and FA-18 retirements, provides
for smooth transition which can be accomplished during both production runs as
the F-22 enhances the F-35 better than any of its predecessors are capable of
complimenting. The F-22 is significantly better than any of the aforementioned
Gen 4 aircraft that are aging rapidly. Making more F-22's is the bridge to the
F-35 dominant role, it will play over the next 50 years. Perhaps in another 20
years there will be enough Trillions for adding additional Air Force aircraft
for the world security objectives.
