Sharpen the Claws: How Lockheed Martin Plans to Make the F-22 Raptor Even Better - 19FortyFive
The article points out the opportunity costs for the proposed upgrade: it's about 9 billion dollars to upgrade the in-service F-22's sensor suites and fuel capacity - the sensor upgrade looks to come in at about $4 billion. The program which may lose some funds to that upgrade is likely NGAD.
I am for the Raptor extending its capability and life while the new - and likely over cost, and ever-moving-to-the-right schedule (if history is any guide)) - replacement gets developed and comes into service. F-22 is a mature system. Its replacement, NGAD, is a case of "sure, we'll be IOC in 2030" which I am very skeptical about.
Critics have pointed out that the investment for the upgrades, reportedly pegged at $9 billion by U.S. Air Force leadership, seems excessive for an aircraft that will begin to be phased out by the end of the decade. Lockheed executives and top Air Force brass contend that the modernization effort is vital — both to keep the F-22 relevant and to serve as a bridge until the NGAD is fully operational as a frontline fighter.
Current speculation suggests these are Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems given their size and shape as well as previous comments by Lockheed indicating the lack of room for such systems within the fuselage. IRST is not a new technology, but recent advances have demonstrated its usefulness as a complement to radar in detecting low-profile stealth aircraft such as Russia’s Su-57 or China’s J-20. The other
major upgrade is stealthy fuel tanks. Most modern combat aircraft can carry external fuel tanks mounted on pylons. These tanks greatly increase their range at some cost to their speed and maneuverability. When it comes to stealth aircraft such the
F-22 and F-35, any external stores greatly increase their radar cross-section (RCS), making them far more detectable. The new fuel tanks seek to solve that problem by being stealthy themselves.
There's more to the article than that, but I suspect that a Raptor in the hand (or a few hundred of them) is worth a hell of a lot more than an NGAD in the bush.
