F-22 Raptor Thread

I now noticed
America's Stealth F-22 Raptor Will Soon Be Able to Kill Enemy Fighters from Twice the Range
so the process of defining 'soon' by
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begins :)
Developmental testers at Edwards Air Force Base in California have completed testing on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor’s Increment 3.2B upgrade. The new configuration will significantly boost the stealthy fifth-generation air superiority fighter’s already fearsome air-to-air capabilities.

As part of the final hurdle, F-22 Raptors assigned to the 411th Flight Test Squadron launched inert AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120D AMRAAM air intercept missiles against multiple BQM-167A sub-scale aerial targets on April 18 over the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). The test marks a “significant effort along the 3.2B developmental test and evaluation upgrade timeline” according to the Air Force.

“The shots at UTTR were the graduation live fire event of a two-year-long 3.2B upgrade,” Lt. Col. Randel Gordon, commander of the
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. “The achievement of those shots is a huge technical accomplishment for the 412th Test Wing and 411th FLTS.”

The live missile shot was a particularly difficult and technically challenging event that was named after Chuck Norris, a 1980s-era action movie star. “We saved the best for last. This was the Chuck Norris shot,” Gordon said. “It was really a technically challenging shot and a graduation shot following two years of hard work. I’m deeply proud of those people in my squadron who made this happen.”

The Increment 3.2B hardware and software upgrade is one of the most significant improvements to the Raptor since the jet became operational in December 2005. Most significantly, the Increment 3.2B upgrade includes full AIM-9X Block 1 and Block 2 integration onto the Raptor. The current Increment 3.1/Upgrade 5 configuration only offers rudimentary AIM-9X Block 1 capability where the pilots see AIM-9M symbology in the cockpit.

Increment 3.2B fixes that problem with the Common Weapon Employment Zone and adds the new AIM-9X Block 2. The upgrade also includes the latest AIM-120D version of the venerable AMRAAM—which offers 50 percent greater range than previous versions of the weapon. Together, the upgrade greatly boosts the Raptor’s air-to-air prowess.

Additionally, the Increment 3.B upgrade adds an Enhanced Stores Management System (ESMS) for better future weapons integration and employment improvements. It also significantly enhances the Raptor’s Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) and adds much better electronic protection measures. Other improvements include greatly improved emitter geolocation capability for the Raptor’s AN/ALR-94 electronic support measures suite.

Increment 3.2B is scheduled to enter operational testing in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year—theoretically this July and August. It should start to be fielded operationally with frontline squadrons late next year. The addition of the AIM-9X helps to address one of the Raptor’s few deficiencies—due to budget cuts in the late 1990s, the Air Force deferred AIM-9X integration and deleted the F-22’s planned helmet-mounted cuing system.

Full AIM-9X integration greatly enhances the Raptor’s already formidable within visual range dogfighting capabilities. Even without a helmet-mounted cuing system, the AIM-9X is far more capable than the antiquated AIM-9M. But to fully exploit the outer edges of the new high off-boresight capabilities of the new Sidewinder variants, the Raptor will need a helmet-mounted cuing system. Air Combat Command hopes to procure such a system for the Raptor that—if all goes well—should be fielded in the early 2020s.
 

Air Force Brat

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Super Moderator
I now noticed
America's Stealth F-22 Raptor Will Soon Be Able to Kill Enemy Fighters from Twice the Range
so the process of defining 'soon' by
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begins :)

outstanding news, the Raptor gets a "sniper rifle",, from its hiding place on the "high ground" the F-22 will have the enhanced ability to shoot down, on almost every adversary, we'll see how good the future op-for's L/O is sometime in the future? I rather doubt its ever in F-22 league as far as aircraft currently in developmental testing? but we will no doubt see big improvements over 4++ gen aircraft.
 
Mar 16, 2017
...

yes or no — does the Raptor have Link 16 now?
I'd say so.
yeah: "Talon HATE has been tested aboard a pair of F-15Cs from the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) at Nellis AFB, Nevada, seeing pilots sharing Link 16 data both ways with the F-22 Raptor, which has previously only been able to receive datalink feeds."
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Posted on
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Air Force Brat

Brigadier
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[QUOTE="FORBIN, post: 454255, member: 9059"View attachment 38742

UummmHHH, Hhhhaaaarrruummmpppphhhh,,,, excuse me, gentlemen, Gentlemen! please click on the image above,,,, now magnify the image please and observe!

There is a leading edge vortex that propagates at the root and rolls outward off the tips, there is also a nice clean turbulent vortex off of each vortex generator near the root, the tornadic flow is quite visible and specific, you can't see the clean airflow over the fuselage, you can't see the clean flow above and below the wing, but what you can see is the "highly energized" turbulent flow off the vortex generator, and off the root of the leading edge.

That turbulent flow is highly stable as long as the speed and angle of attack remain constant, any, and I do mean any change in airspeed or angle of attack will affect this optimum flow, and what we have illustrated is very optimum, like a painting, its a gorgeous "snap shot" of the highly turbulent, highly energized flow that gives the Raptor its very organic and other worldly performance. That's why the Raptor continues to beat ALL comers... even much newer and chronologically "more advanced aircraft..

I would almost "BET MONEY", that when you see a similar snap-shot of the F-35, ThunderHogge II, that you will see "exactly" the very same very perfect "flow patterns", and for those of you who can't "SEE LIFT" as the Air Force Brat, you really ought to have a little more faith!

This is also why the German's want a full detail brief of the F-35, they're tired of getting their butt's kicked by the F-22?? LOL

actually upon further observation, you can see the very smooth, "attached flow" over the top of the wing, as well as that "wing-tip vortice", rolling off both wingtips, beautiful, and highly educational for those who have a mind to learn and be informed!
 
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now I read
F-22 weapons capability ramps up
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F-22A Raptors operated by the US Air Force’s 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California, completed developmental tests of the Raytheon AIM-9X Block II and AIM-120D air-to-air missiles on April 18. The Raptors launched inert missiles against multiple BQM-167A sub-scale aerial targets at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). The tests were conducted as part of the F-22A’s Block 3.2B upgrade developmental test and evaluation. The Block 3.2B modernization update to the F-22A is the largest capability upgrade for the Raptor since it reached initial operating capability in December 2005.

In addition to Block 3.2B upgrades, the USAF is also developing datalink improvements for the Raptor along with software updates that will allow the F-22A and F-35A sensor packages to be connected.
 
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