“Would you intercept me, I would intercept me” 😂 I have loved the F-22 since its inception

Can you imagine; if there were 750 raptors in existence right now?

@FELiPES101

4 ай бұрын

i dont think we would have the f35 right now...we would be spending so much to keep those 22's running

@jimkeats891

4 ай бұрын

@@FELiPES101 depends on whose districts the F-35s are made in

@SanchoPancho979

4 ай бұрын

I absolutely can...obviously. Can you describe how the world of today would look different?

@heathwirt8919

4 ай бұрын

They would be 25-27 year old aircraft close to the end of their service life that would soon need to be replaced.

@ImperatorSomnium

4 ай бұрын

You plan to overtake Mars and Venus with that many planes 😂

The F-22 was a good boy who didn't deserve to be cancelled.

@UnCannyValley67

4 ай бұрын

A very good boy.

@The_Assassin_of_The_Gray

4 ай бұрын

Cannot have Unquestionable Air Superiority™ and world stability with Bath House Barry™ leading his apology tour

@longshot7601

4 ай бұрын

Sec Def at the time was Robert Gates. His focus at the time was the Middle East wars but it cost the US current capabilities.

@user-qf6yt3id3w

4 ай бұрын

@@longshot7601 The thing is I remember it being conventional wisdom at the time that the US wouldn't only be fighting Taliban like enemies and that there'd never be another real war. And it's always driven me insane because that sort of thinking is exactly how you get a real war.

@longshot7601

4 ай бұрын

@@user-qf6yt3id3w Yep. Attack where your enemy is weak. If you are weak everywhere...

My Father retired from Skunk Works and built the prototypes for the F22 and F35 and he said the F22 was in a different league then the F35. He obviously knew stuff he could never share but I took his word for it.

@Istandby666

4 ай бұрын

My biological father worked on these projects also. These projects gave me a great life and memories.

@MrBillsfishin

4 ай бұрын

@@Istandby666 nice. It was always cool knowing my Dad was building stuff like this. The first big one he worked on that I loved was the SR71. Then be able to sit at the end of Ave N and watch it do touch and goes as it took off from Lockheed. Amazing.

@tombearclaw

4 ай бұрын

A twin engine derivative of the f35 seems like it would be a logical choice to stop gap for the NGAD

@Korruptor

4 ай бұрын

Built around totally different design philosophies, and end-user roles, so naturally the F-22 is in a totally different league.

@JustBecause7754

4 ай бұрын

I mean, anything we aren't willing to export is going to be.

Somehow, the scariest part of this video was the costs of the plan being "only" $177M in 2018 but being $213M only 5 years later. 😰

@satelliteprime

4 ай бұрын

Truly. I did a double take.

@Istandby666

4 ай бұрын

Welcome to inflation

@spartancrown

4 ай бұрын

Yep. Was gonna comment the same thing. It’s been a rough five years on that front

@DriveByShouting

4 ай бұрын

Bidenomics.

@buckeyesfan4700

4 ай бұрын

​@@DriveByShoutingabsolutely right Cleveland guardian bs it'll always be the Indian's

Imagine a high-low mix of NGAD and the Raptor-F35 Frankenfighter. An even bigger missed opportunity.

@MikeOxlong-

4 ай бұрын

It’d likely be pretty scary (but not in a good way)… Most definitely wouldn’t be as capable as it should be for what it’d cost until block 4 or greater (like what’s currently happening with the F35)…

@eurybaric

4 ай бұрын

"Low"

@DocWolph

4 ай бұрын

Plus all the drones...

@Chuck_Hooks

4 ай бұрын

​@@eurybaricYes, I used "low" to emphasize that if your low-end air superiority fighter is the Raptor-F35 Frankenfighter, then you have insane overmatch for decades

@amazin7006

4 ай бұрын

Twin engine is not good for the "low" fighter. Costly upkeep, not naval or STOVL capable, and very fuel hungry. This raptor-35 would have been an incredible opportunity for Japan and Korea's homeland defense though. I don't think they have the budget for it currently and are deciding to build their own 6th gen with America's help.

One thing I took away from this is how much of a technological marvel the f35 is. And we'll have thousands of them in operation in the coming years. It's mind boggling.

This is the kinda thing that makes me believe military engineers still like to win wars... I'm glad they still thought of doing this

@trumanhw

4 ай бұрын

Not for us. For us? They offered the less sophisticated version at nearly double the price. It was only for a foreign customer who'd never entertain $300m for a design lacking F35 features. For us? It's "what can we make?" For others, it's "What do we have and what can we deliver it for?" One guy above said "in only 5 years the price went up by 25%" ... which is almost right. It wasn't 5 years. Just 1 stolen election and the plandemic they helped cover the theft with

A JS Raptor that merges F-22 air superiority and maneuvering with the F-35’s technology would be a dream. Holy hell, that would be awesome, so if the NGAD is not up to snuff, I’ll likewise be disappointed like Alex. I LOVE the F-22. ❤

The NextGen AF and Navy fighters will simply build on the the F22B concept. It isn't like everything goes away.

@keith_jerky3479

4 ай бұрын

but look like the f23

@jimmiller5600

4 ай бұрын

@@keith_jerky3479 The F22 is nice but the F23 was beautiful. Probably too far ahead of its time.

@phantomechelon3628

3 ай бұрын

@@jimmiller5600 The F-23 was by all accounts the better aircraft. Just Lockheed were better at boardroom politics...

@jimmiller5600

3 ай бұрын

@@phantomechelon3628 I'm not disagreeing, but "better" can also be "additional risk". And then there was the "industrial base" argument.

I have to admit, you could bs me at this point and present a VF-32 from Macross and I’ll believe it. That’s how authentic I think your reporting is. April 1st could be a day as result.

@paulnakari5193

4 ай бұрын

I’m trying to figure out is this a compliment?

@neuropilot7310

4 ай бұрын

Rumor is the DoD had a Light Weight Fighter design known as the YF-52, intended for production as the F-52 for our allies. This was after the former President announced that a foreign NATO partner (Denmark?) had purchased the F-52 fighter.

@uberfatamerican

4 ай бұрын

I think its a compliment on how authentic the reporting is but idk

@phil3038

4 ай бұрын

See your point, I even partially believe Norad are tracking Santa, 😂

@barryelverson9486

4 ай бұрын

@@paulnakari5193 it’s a compliment and an admission of belief.

She would've been the perfect blend of the Raptor and the Lightening II and its a damn shame it didn't get built!

@pike100

4 ай бұрын

*Lightning, not Lightening

@faitestealer

4 ай бұрын

​@@pike100 ,,I,,

I like how the F-22 was so advanced that only now are other countries starting to catch up

@alexv3357

4 ай бұрын

@@LeonAust >the lift fan on the B model is a rolls Royce design gained from Yakovlev That's just patently not correct. The lift fan in the Yak-38 is not related in any way except for end purpose to the Rolls Royce LiftSystem.

@amazin7006

4 ай бұрын

​@@LeonAust Yakovlev never had a lift fan, you made that up lol. The lift fan is purely Rolls Royce technology based on Lockheed Martin design. Yakovlev instead used a far inferior 3 engine design, with 2 of the side engines being dead weight after take-off. This was a far worse design which is prone to more failures and heavy maintenance (one of the reason 66% of their prototypes crashed), and funny enough, F35 flew just 9 years afterwards.

@LeonAust

4 ай бұрын

Sorry my mis your spot on there!....... three Yak 141 was purchased by Lockheed to examine the VSTOL features, for JSF probably the main engine swivel nozzle at the rear was influenced by the Yak 141 not copied.@@amazin7006

@thatguy46744

4 ай бұрын

Not even. They still havent even gotten close to catching up😂

@raymondtorres-gy8uj

4 ай бұрын

​@@thatguy46744 Totally agree!! They're not even close to catching up with the raptor, they Will eat the J-20 & the SU-57 for breakfast & fart 💨 out nuts & bolts 😂😂😂

Best fighter jet channel on the internet. And fighter jets isn't even all you do! Love your videos, brother. Semper fi.

Imagine 220 F22 and 220 YF23. We would have a lot more videos on Sandboxx.

You're telling me that the 22 could have been _even more_ scary and unhinged?!

I think the F-35 will fill the gap before the NGAD comes out. It’s not focused on air superiority like the Raptor, but the situational awareness, sensor fusion, and BVR abilities still significantly outstrip all near peer opponents.

@LeonAust

4 ай бұрын

Well said

@andyyang5234

4 ай бұрын

But an air superiority fighter is still needed?

@LeonAust

4 ай бұрын

@Nathan-vt1jz is right it's not about kinetics it's about situational awareness, sensor fusion, and BVR abilities, weapons. To much money goes into a fighter thus multirole is preferred. NGAD will be interesting on what type of aircraft it will be.@@andyyang5234

@Nathan-vt1jz

4 ай бұрын

@@andyyang5234 Generally I think we should still field an air superiority fighter. I just think the F22 and F35 will suffice in the interim. Both are significantly better than any near peer platform.

@protorhinocerator142

3 ай бұрын

@@andyyang5234 We still have the F-22, which can be kept going for a while. Also the F-15, which is still better than most other fighter jets. Stealth is most important in the opening days of a war. The stealth assets go after radar, comm, and SAM targets first. Once the enemy air defenses are weakened or destroyed, non-stealth assets like the F-15 become viable. The F-22 is there to kick down the door and let lesser aircraft operate in the battle space. By the time we send in a B-52, you can bet that the enemy has literally nothing left that can shoot down a plane. If it did, it would fire everything it has at that B-52 because that's the deadliest thing in the air. Nobody wants to get pulverized by B-52 attacks. It's a brutal beast. Depending on the type of battle we encounter in the future, the F-22 should be enough for now.

An F-22 that went to school would be scary, I look forward to HLC talking about the F-22B

Of all the money we spent I really love the F-22. Truly believe this is the best plane made in air combat history.

Did they solve the problem of F-22 wing to fuselage connection? It was the most expensive problem of F-22 that required continuous inspection of crack initiation and propagation. Most likely, it was one of the biggest reason of stopping production of this plane.

Breath Alex! 😂 Real though, great bit! Where do you get your camera footage from? I have been making airshow video clips and looking for sites to list on.

I know that the JSF is technically more advanced in many ways. The Raptor is just a sexy, sexy jet. A JSR is exactly what I want.

Not a missed opportunity. Its all about range baby!

I worked at a machine shop a couple years ago that we were machining parts for the NGAD as well as the B21 Raider pretty cool stuff I can’t wait to see what it will end up looking like

Fascinating video Alex! Also, as a Brit whose Air Force and Navy fly the F-35, it made me appreciate what an awesome aircraft it is (initially thought it was just a watered-down F-22).

This just tells me the new sixth gen is about to be bananas

Alex, with the way that funding and congressional approvals work, it genuinely may have made it to fruition had they used this video as the sales pitch. Even the catchy name would have gotten votes of support. Yet another great video, thanks for all the time and effort that you put in.

Thanks Alex🇺🇸

Good stuff Alex! Thanks cat! 😎👍

This guy is too good when it comes to commentary just watch your back. I’m sure the Commies are watching. God bless you for your ability to push forward the best of the information fox one out.

@jj4791

4 ай бұрын

That's the whole point. Their mission is to counter Commie misinformation and bragging about their junk. The entire right-wing in America from Trumpets to Tucker Carlson advocate for Russias military and technological superiority. Which is blatant lies and russo propaganda.

I have often wondered why the F22 had AIM-9X when they couldn't utilize the missiles off-boresight potential to its fullest. It's a shame the cockpit was deemed too small to incorporate a full HMDS (Helmet Mounted Display Setup.

@PhthaloType

4 ай бұрын

The official reason is that giving the 9X/JHMCS combo to 4th gen fighters drastically improves their combat capability, but since the F-22 already started off being so much better, effectively it would only give it a marginal improvement. Plus the Raptor would be less likely to find itself in a post-merge, WVR fight where you really need it, and if it does, its supermaneuverability can help make up the difference.

@LondonSteveLee

4 ай бұрын

Which was a smokescreen - the real reason is the obsolete old clunkers of computers onboard F-22 cannot handle the extra bandwidth required by HMDS, even integrating AIM-120D was a real headache due to the increase data rate compared to AIM-120C. F-22 is completely obsolete under the skin - it needs a total refit. Block D on F-35 is a band-aid - that will be the last bodge of a upgrade before a total new avionics refit is required. Essentially F-35 is 20 years old (IT tech wise) and F-22 is 30-40 years old. The planes are so complicated that keeping the systems up-to-date has proven to be impossible unlike F-15 (with EX) and Typhoon where bolting the latest and greatest sensor or IT upgrades on is relatively straightforward - particularly with Typhoon which is totally modular.

@Gripen90

4 ай бұрын

​​@@LondonSteveLeeArh not 30-40 years old, then you are in the area of early home computers and before TMSC chips etc. used in any electronic. If it was that old it would not even be able to handle AIM120A.

Ever since i went to beale afb for a airshow when i was younger and saw a f22 break the sound barrier breifly over the runway and watch it do aireal acrobatics i have been in complete awe of the platform its stunningly beautiful the f15 is also a beautiful platform been able to see those fly at multiple airshows

@pike100

4 ай бұрын

*briefly *aerial

@jonney_boy

4 ай бұрын

@@pike100 dude chill I rebuild engines not teach English nobody likes a Grammer nazi

Alex is an amazing writer.

A video about the AAS / FARA (armed scout helicopter) program would be cool. Sikorsky has the S-97 Raider compete with the Bell+Textron 360 Invictus. The Raider has troop capacity while the Invictus does not, but that gives the Invictus better stealth properties, just like the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche had. Not sure why Sikorsky abandoned that design, as they first came up with it. Just to push a common scout and transport design when they already lost the Blackhawk transport replacement to the Bell V280 Valor?

@utley

4 ай бұрын

The Comanche was abandoned after they found out the stealth characteristics wasn't worth the money invested in the project. Instead of a stealth helicopter that was almost invisible to radar, they got about half of what they anticipated iirc.

@mamarussellthepie3995

4 ай бұрын

​@@utleypov stealth helicopters are casually being pursued atm lol

The F-22 has always had some of the functionality that you exclusively associated with the F-35, such as passive radar geolocation, non-cooperative target recognition, sensor data fusion, and networking (albeit only with other F-22s). These ideas had been around since at least the late-1980s, and were developed along with the F-22. It already had a devastating situational awareness advantage against legacy fighters before the F-35 came along.

Thank you 😊

Thanks. !!

Habitual line crosser should add a ghost F22B. A haunting or imagination fuelled character that is the spectre of his still born or snorted baby brother. I’d haunt me… would you haunt me? You can’t see him? Wow my baby brother is the best at hide and seek.

Missed opportunity! Amen to that!

Shooting missiles at aircraft behind you is wild

Look at the F15 reboot, never say never will a thoroughbred Air Superiority fighter like the F15 and the F22! Great Content Alex, thanks for all the hard work.

Build the F22B -- jointly with Japan, Australia and NATO. That boosts the production run from 150 to 400. And causes Russia and China to simply sit down and shut up for the next decade or two. Production is expensive, war is wildly more expensive.

@skyserf

4 ай бұрын

Can’t we get Qatar to foot the bill again? :)

@jimmiller5600

4 ай бұрын

@@skyserf The shareholders of the F15 and F16 salute you.

@jimmiller5600

4 ай бұрын

@@skyserf That said, I loved the "F21" re-branding strategy. Let the USAF order a couple dozen or a hundred for "continental defense". That stamp of approval would result in another decade or two of foreign sales.

@lisaroberts8556

4 ай бұрын

The US can’t share that Technology even with the closest of allies. Waaay too dangerous. Especially seeing what happened with Stealth Technology shared with Turkey. Now the Iranians and China try to copy it.

I was really thinking this was going to be about something in the century series like the Ultrasaber or Rapier, maybe with proposed early stealth features.

@PhthaloType

4 ай бұрын

Same here! I wasn't thinking "2nd generation OF the Raptor," but "2nd generation fighter equivalent of the Raptor"

Do you have a whole presentation on that Deltawing Viper ? I saw it in the 90s and wondered why it was nixed ? Thanks

If NGAD would have turned out not to live up to expectations in the near future I doubt the strike raptor would have as well, hell the OG F-22 itself didn't live up to expectations if you factor in the budget cuts and production shutdown. NGAD will doubtlessly be more than we expect and I'm positive whatever was learned from the strike raptor proposal would be implemented into our 6th gens

@sundhaug92

4 ай бұрын

The budget-cuts and production shutdown wasn't because the F-22 didn't live up to expectations, it was because it was no longer necessary

Could you do a video on the PrSM :)

This really miffed me. I had made plans to trade in my 152 Aerobat when I heard about this. I had to settle for new chrome rims and one of those chrome chain steering wheels. Those upgrades should keep me going until they show up on the used market. "0_o"

Thank you for this video. I've been wondering about EXACTLY this for a few years. Your ability to read my mind is almost uncomfortable.

Ditto on all that you said! 👏

How about videos on the proposed swing wing F-22N (definitely would have been in Top Gun: Maverick) and the supersized FB-22 which could have carried a payload similar to the F-111.

@bad_covfefe

4 ай бұрын

I think he did do an FB22 video.

@pike100

4 ай бұрын

America is not going to be building any more swing-wing fighters. Too expensive to maintain. That feature made the Tomcat very expensive to maintain.

I really wish they would look more into the idea of fielding this upgraded F-22, or a modified F-35 variant more in line with the F-22s air dominance capabilities if they want to phrase it that way, and open it up to our closest allies to drive down cost per unit. Maybe with a secret self destruct charge in case it ever lands somewhere it shouldn't, lol, but even having a few squadrons in the mix might do wonders for deterrence. Since we'll be replacing it with NGAD or whatever in 10 years, it doesn't have to remain in service too long, but could help when the existing F22 inventory starts to drop, especially if NGAD or whatever ends up taking longer than expected to ramp up.

It seems like the Tomcat-21 was an equally (for it's day) missed op.

@mamarussellthepie3995

4 ай бұрын

Let's hope our F22s dont meet a similar fate 😅

@granatmof

4 ай бұрын

Honestly when a oppurtunity is missed and there never arises the real life situation that would require the platform before the program would have been replaced anyway, then it wasn't a missed oppurtunity.

@gotanon9659

4 ай бұрын

Yeah...paying for what is basically raptor prices for a quarter of the capability isnt exactly a smart proposal..

@pike100

4 ай бұрын

​@@granatmof *opportunity

@pike100

4 ай бұрын

​@gotanon9659 This so-called Raptor JSF would have GREATLY exceeded the capabilities of the F-22.

Any artwork of the fighter would look like

Raptor forever!

Isn't the F-22's AAR-56 MAWS rather similar to the F-35's DAS? It isn't integrated and sensor-fused in the same way, but physically it is a similar system that is already installed, and I think one of the upgrades the F-22 is receiving as we speak is greater integration of this system, based on how it's done in the F-35. It won't allow the pilot to see through the airframe, of course (especially with no HMD), but it will be used to increase overall situational awareness like the DAS does for the F-35.

I could ha e sworn you've done a video on this before, but I guess I'm confusing channels. The fact is the NGAD program is going to have all this with larger fuel capacity for greatly improved range without fuel pods, and the next Gen stealth and avionics.

The NGAD will have something none of the current generations have, and that is a focus on much longer range. This is absolutely crucial for any check on China. As glorious as any of these previous designs might be, they are largely useless in the Pacific theater due to their existing limited range. They are great for Europe, sure, but that is not where the greatest threat is. The NGAD won't be an air superiority 'dogfighter', it won't be as sexy that way, but it is going to be a darn sight more useful for our inevitably limited budgets to maintain. I seriously hope the NGAD will have supercruise, as they'll need it for those longer range deployments.

@aidanwilliams9452

4 ай бұрын

Yep people are missing the new operational requirements NGAD will have, I'm super curious just how large it'll be compared to an F-22 or F-15

@kbm2055

4 ай бұрын

@@aidanwilliams9452 I'm guessing something like the F-111. It's going to have to be big if they want very long range.

@panpiper

4 ай бұрын

@@aidanwilliams9452 It will be significantly larger than the F-22 or F-15, of that much I am certain, if for no other reason than the extra fuel. But I strongly suspect it will have room for significant internal stealthed payload as well, at least 4 SM-6 internal. I dare say it might not be much smaller than a B-21 and will have a similar feel to it. Of course I am speculating, but it is not a completely uninformed guess.

@aidanwilliams9452

4 ай бұрын

@@panpiper Yeah hopefully they give it enough room for the hypersonics in development, otherwise only the F-15EX will be able to carry them. With how they're talking about it possibly incorporating a laser they'll also need a lot of power which may require who knows how many additional engines. Whether they go tailless or more YF-23-like we'll wait and see, either way gonna be an interesting design.

The reason what you call the Joint Strike Raptor was not attractive to the Air Force is that it would still have limited combat range and in a western-Pacific scenario, unrefueled combat range (radius) will be one of the overriding considerations.

@LeonAust

4 ай бұрын

Expensive to boot

@LeonAust

4 ай бұрын

Stealth FB-111A🤣

I've been thinking about this recently. My opinion is that it could still be realistic to expect to see this "strike raptor" come to life, aircraft aren't getting any cheaper, and old airframe design or not, this program might allow the strike raptor to age more like the f16 has, as in: being cheaper than the alternatives, but almost as capable despite its age.

Has there been any suggestions on making an awacs stealth jet?

Well, at least we now know what the NGAD's base capabilities will be.

Could engine upgrades, including a moveable thrust nozzle, allow future F-35s a higher top speed, super-cruise and more overall maneuverability ? Maybe not on the level of the F-22 but it seems like a hybrid F-35 4-ship flight group could be employed to defeat incoming air to air threats along with strike capabilities.....?

"King Raptor ready for take off 😎"

I thought this idea was dead and JP was building their own design with the UK and one other country as partners, no?

Man, didn't think I'd live to see the day that the F-22 would be considered obsolete...so soon

Because of the cost of the F-22 to operate it's much better the US stopped production and this is something most people don't want to acknowledge. 6th gen is going to be superior in almost every way ESPECIALLY the operational cost due to having to recoat the surface of the F22 to provide stealth. And it's that limitation that also means every time a pilot has to kick the F22 up in speed, the aircraft has lost part of its stealth. The fact that the NGAD is supposed to use more of a permanent material for stealth is a big improvement. And China is about to go bankrupt, or I should say a lot of their local govts. are about to go bankrupt and the CCP is going to have to use QE to bail them out and it's going to drop their currency to near junk, so when they have to buy raw materials or good it's going to be a lot more painful for them so NOT too worried about China for a while, like the next decade because that's probably about how long it's going to take them to recover economically, if they even can.

@piotrd.4850

4 ай бұрын

F-22 was supposed to be chepaer to maintain than F-15. F-35 was supposed to be cheap to buy and operate. It always ends up another way.

@stephennelson4954

4 ай бұрын

Then there is the sudden news of massive military purges in China over corruption in the PLA and PLAN. Unless Winnie the Xi gets backed into a corner there should not be anything to really fear from Chinese military aggression for the next decade. Although these purges could be a form of disinfo made by the PLA to create a false sense of security so stay alert.

On a par for par period assessment, would the updated raptor be on par with the super tomcat 21 for a missed opportunity that should have been taken

I’m pretty sure the F-22 has more IR detection systems than people realize right now (even if they’re likely defensive in nature.) I hadn’t seen much of anything mentioned on these systems, but was given a personal tour by a USAF demo pilot a while back and all I’ll say is that he wasn’t allowed to comment on what I noticed. This is all public stuff anyone with a good camera can see at any air show, but still an interesting observation IMHO. That plane looks every bit as sci-fi up close today as it did decades ago.

So correct me if I'm wrong but as I understand what you were saying about the infrared sensors. Because it would be using infrared rather than radar to target an enemy aircraft wouldn't that mean that the enemy aircraft would know it's being targeted?

The tooling, jigs etc is stored in a warehouse at Sierra Army Depot. However that doesn't really help as much as was hoped. They need for a new facility and the extensive machine tools and training made the whole project very expensive. I've also heard that the equipment in storage isn't well organized or always labeled properly.

@JamesEhler

4 ай бұрын

How much have we sent to Ukraine?

As an inspiring aerospace engineer, I too came up with my idea for some sort of Franken fighter, but instead using more of the F-35 parts to build a frame that looks like the F-22, plus elements from like the F-15 and F/A-18 for improved pilot adaptability in combat.

@LondonSteveLee

4 ай бұрын

But due to the lateness of the project and constant design freezes for bug fixing, F-35 is already 2 generations out of date (IT wise) - it needs a total avionics refit, there a limit to what you can squeeze out of a bunch of Intel i960s! - Block D is only a band aid. Starting from scratch would be a much more fruitful endeavour given todays AI accelerated development techniques - F-35 suffers from a lot of the spaghetti design issues that plague F-22. The USAF can see the writing on the wall, they cancelled a massive F-35A order replacing it with F-15EX as the EX is the more modern plane! They know an F-35A order now means block D delivered - which is a dead-end purchase - total redesign needed after that - how much will Block E cost and will it even work? The upgrade alone will probably cost as much as a F-15EX new!

@WolfeSaber9933

4 ай бұрын

@@LondonSteveLee My idea was to have an advanced low cost fighter to compliment sixth generation fighters.

Echoes of the should have been Super Tomcat!

700 F-22s would scare the heck out of every nation in the world. Imagine a Foe trying to preplan an operation knowing it was going up against 8 Squadrons in the first day of their operation. I suspect we would have a much more quiet world.

Could you do a video about the future of Shorad? Will short range air defense provided by the laser stryker? Will the Bradley replacement IFV XM30 function as an anti air cannon? Should the US look at the SkyRanger / Skynex / millenium gun system? And will there be a Stinger replacement with a better battery, targeting, and most importantly more affordable? Or is this affordable future the APKWS guidance upgrade for the cheap and plentiful Hydra 70mm rocket? Should we slap that on Avenger Hummvees? Or IRIS-T?

@texasranger24

4 ай бұрын

I think the US should really invest into a new shorad air defense system. Laser Stryker is cool, but i am talking anti air tank (or IFV, really). Team up with german Rheinmetall and get the Millenium gun/ SkyRanger. Slap a 35mm airbust cannon aka longrange shotgun onto Strykers and Bradleys (or their replacement) plus 2 or 4 Stinger misslies. Or the bigger IRIS-T. Hell, develop a new Stinger, and make it 5 times cheaper. The battery on the current ones suck and their age shows. Good shorad weapons need to be affordable and plentiful, not some rare and expensive thing nobody really can get.

NGAD seems to be more of a dream because it would surely be in its test flight stage about now, but there is not so much as a peep about it. that means the Raptor is still king and it needs support especially right now in this world

@barkobongo7196

4 ай бұрын

My brother is Christ the usaf is announcing the winner of the contract this year. This is public information that you can google

Kinda sad... the F-22 is such a beautiful machine. ❤

Alex knows where the dead airframes are buried!🤩😍

So would maneuverability be purely defensive if you can shoot a 9x in any direction?

they probably never should have shut down raptor production in the first place. they had a platform that was proven to be the most dominant fighter in the world by far. i think its weird that they dont take a platform like that and incrementally improve and refine while also lowering cost due to economies of scale and newer technology. maybe there is a good reason, but it seems like our military could learn from the tech and auto industries. im sure there is good reason

@kbm2055

4 ай бұрын

To maintain even a very minimum production line you have to build at least a few planes per year. Without exports they just couldn't do it unfortunately.

@randal3122

4 ай бұрын

@@kbm2055 yes and i think they probably should have kept building a few a year. they certainly built a bunch of f35s instead. and they spent an insane amount of money developing the f35. i just imagine if they took that money and incrementally improved the f22 with avionics and tech, and develop a couple variants like they did with the f35. but have it all based on the f22. maybe the f22 airframe couldnt work with some of the functions the f35 can. or maybe because they needed to develop a jet they could export, while keeping the f22s they have as our air superiority edge

@sundhaug92

4 ай бұрын

@@randal3122 The F-22 was too expensive for what was needed

I believe that most people and even most Congressmen have no idea about the full ability of the F22 and how exactly it would be used in warfare. Most look at the individual capabilities of an aircraft, that are published, and don't consider how they would be used as a total force with all combined assets. Integration has always been this country's best asset against our enemies, which a lot of adversaries have found out the hard way.

@aidanwilliams9452

4 ай бұрын

That's a huge thing people don't realise when criticising the F-35, they'll compare specs on paper, but if they knew the actual game changing capabilities they'd realise it's one of if not the best asset they've got.

Short sightedness includes the decommissioning of the F14 ?

It's really to bad that the Air Force didn't adopt the F-35 upgrades to the F22 (B) as you mentioned Alex. IMO, it would be THE air dominance aircraft!

F-22 Raptor Upgrade with new electronics like 2nm chips and upgraded versions of F-35 engines could reach close to mach 3 and be even more deadly

Australia was also constantly asking the USA to buy F-22, we probably would have jumped in on this (if NGAD capabilities were still a huge secret at the time) that would have been worth maybe 36 more airframes. Imagine 300-400 Raptors...

@jj4791

4 ай бұрын

Yeah, there are things in this world you can look at but can't touch.

would the F-22"B" be the worst missed opportunity knowing the Lockheed L-133, with the L-1000 axial-flow turbojet, was just one step away from becoming a reality? had it been built in 1942 and it would outclass the Me-262 the P-80 was proposed one year later and started flying by 1944, the L-133 would likely be introduced by 1944, right around the same time the Me-262 was accepted for service

Do the F16XL with DAS and stuff.

One thing I don't understand is, you have been talking about some new fighters that are in operation that fly some great speeds and what they can do.

Given that the NGAD has already designed, built, and flown a prototype, I would say that was probably the way to go. We need to commit to it and keep ourselves out of any stupid forever wars to distract us and be smart about our strategic moves and maximize our bang for our buck going forward.

Yep, full agreement. Prefer 180 more lower risk JSF Raptors now, than 200 higher risk NGAD fighters likely later. The former can leverage F-35 supply chain, existing tech, and maintenance/supply software/services. We’re running out of time to prepare…

I wonder how much we could bring the cost down on a Joint Strike Raptor if we replaced all our orders for the F-35 with JSR's?

This hurts even more than the Navy killing the Super Tomcat

One thing which comes to mind while looking at the xmas list of the "Joint Strike Raptor"... ...is that reading the list _should_ really make one appreciate just what a beast the F-35 is. And with over 500 F-35's in service with the US, and more coming every month... why do we need a "JSR" again? There are a couple _decent_ answers, namely max altitude, high supercruise, and maneuverability. Hopefully, understanding the targeting capability of the F-35 makes that third reason pretty meaningless. The first two reasons though, are relevant for air superiority work to close weakness vs high&fast attacks, and to boost energy for longer range BVR engagement. I think the air force has their eye on something higher & faster though.

Still wish we could've had the yf-23

@jj4791

4 ай бұрын

It lost to the F-22, Because it lost to the F-22.

@douglasw5371

4 ай бұрын

it would have been nice to have had a small number of them as well as F-22's both planes had there own strong points.

So basically take an F-35 to the mod shop and tune it up into an F-22. That's terrifying.

I would like to see an F-23 with all the F-35 tech in it.

@aidanwilliams9452

4 ай бұрын

NGAD is likely gonna be closer to that

I want to hear the same enthusiasm you have in this video when you make your next video about how we should still be flying the F14 instead of the F15. Because we should still be flying the F14.

@sundhaug92

4 ай бұрын

The F-14 was replaced by the F-18, not the F-15, and was incredibly expensive to fly per hour

@W1ckedRcL

4 ай бұрын

@@sundhaug92 the point flew right over your head

Battle meditation is an ability of the strongest force users.

Since it was a combination between the F-22 and the F-35, i propose we name it the F-57, Why? Simple. 22 + 35 = 57 _"B-but the SU-57"_ shut up, we can just swat them out of the sky once we have these in service, but also like bro this name is too good

The hope is that the US Gov't combines the F-22's flight and stealth capabilities with the advanced avionics and electronics of the F-35 into the NGAD and they don't lose sight of technology advancements and the need for improvements. It boggles the mind how the F-35 is inferior to the F-22 in flight capabilities and the short sightedness given to the F-22 program that production lines were removed, yet F-15 lines are still around - wasn't the F-22 replacing the F-15? These type of upgrades would be akin to the what the F-15EX is receiving and yet, is still in production. I guess we had to create something inferior to sell to other countries like the F-35 and retro-modified F-15s.

@mamarussellthepie3995

4 ай бұрын

Makes you wonder what their real priorities are 😅

@sundhaug92

4 ай бұрын

F-22 was supposed to replace it, but then the USSR fell the 90s came and the US didn't have the same need for those capabilities

@kinematics7092

4 ай бұрын

The USAF has already stated the F-35 has a lower RCS than the F-22, so literally the only concern here is flight performance, which the F-35 already has decent flight performance for the job. I'm not sure how you're confused that a single engine plane without vectored thrust is less maneuverable than a twin engine plane with vectored thrust; however, do consider that the F-35A is still a 9 G, 50 degree AoA platform and there are very few fighters in the world that can match that.

_They're considering restarting F-22 production_. I've almost literally had wet dreams about this!