Replies

"The F-22 is far and away the biggest advance over existing capabilities on the table. It is to older fighters what they were to early jets, or those to prop planes. It makes every existing threat AC obsolete. And that is worth plenty."

Other planes are already obsolete. What can stand up to the F-15, F-16, F-14, and F-117...much less to the F-18?

It's like being dead twice. You're already dead.

The F-22 is overkill. What we've already got makes everything else obsolete.

The next step, therefore, is going sub-orbital (something that a certain American civilian named Rutan is going to do this year), followed by orbital fighters. Unmanned fighters and bombers will likewise handle the lower altitudes as time progresses.

But the F-22 can't do what Rutan's civilian SpaceShipOne can do. It can't go as high as Rutan and it can't go as fast. Rutan's machine carries up to 3 people and costs only $10 million. The F-22 can't touch that, even though we're spending more than a Billion Dollars per Raptor right now.

Why? For what?

"F-15, F-16, F-14"

Sukhoi's bird can square up against all of them...and win. But the Sukhoi is toast when you factor in our overall air strategy [InfSys network, Data links] ....and far more importantly, training.

But the F-22 can't do what Rutan's civilian SpaceShipOne can do. It can't go as high as Rutan and it can't go as fast. Rutan's machine carries up to 3 people and costs only $10 million.

Do you wish to be taken seriously? Come on.

If you were to take every capability of Rutan's bird, then hang a JDAM or two on it, do you know what you would have? Oh, wait, I forgot about targeting systems. Oh wait, I forgot about defensive systems. Oops, JSTARS, cant forget that. Uh oh, LANTIRN, gotta have it. Oh, wait.......Oops,.......Oh!....Um....

Lets assume you did not eat your Wheaties today?

>>But the F-22 can't do what Rutan's civilian SpaceShipOne can do. It can't go as high as Rutan and it can't go as fast. Rutan's machine carries up to 3 people and costs only $10 million. The F-22 can't touch that, even though we're spending more than a Billion Dollars per Raptor right now.

What are you smoking? The F-22 can't make toast either. In fact, to my knowledge, no current US fighter aircraft can, so I guess we might as well just give up on them. SpaceShipOne is designed for a completely different purpose than a fighter aircraft, it has no attack or defense capabilities of any kind, nor could they easily be added.

We've had this discussion before, and you haven't convince me the least tiny little bit. You are preaching vaporware. As for what isn't made obsolete by F-15s, the answer is all the modern MiGs and Sus, which the Chicoms are buying, etc. There is a world of difference between countering anything the enemy can do, and just having an equivalent plane to theirs. (Yes Virginia, modern Sus and MiGs are fully equal to the F-15 et al. Unsurprising, since the latter are 30 year old technology).

This is my first post.

But I'm in the Air Force and we need the 22. Currently the new Russian planes which China just purchased. Actually think there was a story about this on here somewhere, but anyway. The new planes out match the 15/16/18. The F/A-22 is the only way to go. They don't even list half of what the plane can actually do. Also the price on the 22 should drop significantly over the next few years. Right now the technology is just really new, but once they start integrating into our Air Force you'll see a drop in price.