Few airpower instances are more controversial than the F-22 Raptor or the F-35 Lightning II. They show the summum of American stealth fighter brilliance, but each in their own positive and compromising ways. As air forces everywhere modernize their power and new threats are uncovered, it has never been more critical to learn what separates these two aircraft from each other.
The F-22 Raptor was the result of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program of the Air Force, constructed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Flown for the first time in 1997, it was intended for air dominance—razor-fast, razor-agile, and radar-evading. About 180 were produced; exports were forbidden due to technology. Production ceased in 2011, but the Air Force still modernizes the fleet, so the Raptor is still a sky king.
The F-35 Lightning II, however, evolved as an extension of the Joint Strike Fighter program into a multirole fighter. Lockheed Martin produced three variants for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. The F-35 has, since its initial flight in 2006 and induction into operational deployment in 2015, evolved into the most productive fifth-generation fighter in the air on earth, with more than a thousand delivered and full operational experience.
In level-flight ability, the F-22 cannot be matched. It can climb more than 60,000 feet per minute and fly at Mach 2.25, so it is a world-class dogfighter and interceptor. Its thrust-vectoring engines provide it with a superb level of maneuverability in the realm of traditional air-to-air combat, so the F-35’s 45,000 feet-per-minute climb rate is second-rate.
F-35, not edge-speed optimized, was built on flexibility. Its true strength lies in combat situational awareness and high-end electronics. With AESA radar and an Electro-Optical Targeting System, pilots can target multiple targets, initiate fires with other systems, and possess commanding situational awareness of the battlefield. Sensor fusion and network capability enable it to transition smoothly into demanding, high-technology war-fighting environments.
The exact reason why the F-35 is a flexibility leader is that, whereas the F-22 only has a singular focus for air superiority, the Lightning II can switch between air-to-ground strike, reconnaissance, anti-ship, and nuclear deterrence. It’s internally and externally equipped for carriage, and it’s a “quarterback in the sky” that pairs together air, sea, land, space, and cyber operations. It is therefore a top-notch force multiplier for joint operations.
They are stealthy, but they’re built differently. The F-22 achieves this using a heavier aircraft by utilizing internal bays for equipment and installation to render radar visibility less likely, while the F-35 is built to remain invisible to common frequencies of radar. Its advanced avionics give pilots an expanded space view of the war landscape without giving away their own visibility.
This kind of capability is expensive. The F-35 program is the largest defense program to date, and it has been estimated to cost over $2 trillion for its overall lifetime cost. Delays in schedules, maintenance requirements, and intricately difficult repairs have raised concerns about affordability and deployment readiness of the program. Upgrades persist to improve engines and coolants, but some technology items are finicky. To be cost-conscious, the Air Force and Navy reduced estimated yearly flying hours.
It takes a new education system to fly these aircraft. The pilots must be proficient in flight, but also proficient in operating advanced sensors, reading data, and making tactical judgments in the time it takes to blink. Fifth-generation air warriors count more heavily on sensors than on intelligence, and therefore need education in multi-domain operations, pressure decision-making, and independent thought under high-pressure situations.
In the future years, the future F-47 is being developed in the Next-Generation Air Dominance program by the Air Force. With much better range, more stealth, more flexibility, and less maintenance than the F-22, the F-47 is being developed with the capability to engage future threats with an enduring and flexible design.
Finally, the F-22 vs. F-35 is not choosing one “best” airframe. It is proof of changing priorities in air combat. The Raptor is still unmatched at close-range combat, and the Lightning II is still unmatched at network-centric, multi-domain combat. With technology still advancing and threats still evolving, the lessons from both platforms will reshape air warfare for decades.