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F-22 Raptor Thread
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Jura The idiot
General
"But where the Strike Eagles performing DCA in the region are able to send and receive critical battlefield information over Link 16, the tactical data link used by most Air Force aircraft, the F-22s do not have full Link 16 capability. This means the Raptors can receive data and imagery from other aircraft in the battlespace over Link 16, but cannot send the advanced picture the fifth-generation aircraft generates to the rest of the force."Yep, about time we showed the Raptor a little love, after all she's done for us??
Russian Fighters Test U.S. Boundaries In Skies Over Syria
Nov 19, 2017
As Islamic State militants lose ground in Iraq and Syria, U.S. fighter pilots are seeing increasingly alarming behavior from Russian aircraft flying over the battlespace.
Lt. Col. “Ox,” a U.S. Air Force Raptor pilot and commander of the 95th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron assigned to Al Dhafra air base, UAE, said his pilots see unexpected, potentially threatening movement from Russian fighters flying over Iraq and Syria with growing regularity. The pilots have had numerous close calls in the past few weeks, with Russian aircraft frequently flying within weapons range of coalition ground troops, Ox said.
The Russians fighters—primarily Sukhoi Su-30s, Su-35s, Su-27 Flankers and Su-17 Fitters—have not made moves to attack U.S. or coalition forces, but their proximity to the ground troops is threatening, said Ox, who requested partial anonymity to discuss sensitive operations. Russian fighters regularly fly within range of coalition ground forces for twenty or thirty minutes at a time, he added.
For Ox and his pilots, it’s often tough to tell whether the Russian aircraft are deliberately testing their boundaries, or if such events are just honest mistakes. But as ground forces squeeze ISIS into a smaller and smaller area, these “uncomfortable” incidents are becoming more frequent, he said.
“We have to use our judgment to figure out, is this somebody getting close to attack our guys? Or is this somebody that is just flying a wide pattern?” Ox said. “You don’t know if they are doing this to test us, to see what our response is, or if it’s completely innocent. That’s the call that we have to make every day.”
Responding to these incidents is made even more challenging by the increasingly congested airspace, Ox said. The Raptor pilots must very quickly deconflict coalition forces in the area to make sure they have enough space to monitor the Russians and run interference if need be.
Potentially threatening aircraft are often close enough to see visually, but the busy airspace makes identifying their type and allegiance a challenge, Ox said. This is particularly difficult at night because the Raptors do not have the advanced electro-optical/infrared capability integrated into the or fourth-generation fighters via external pod.
“It’s so crowded, the typical employment game plans, tactics that we use are happening at much longer ranges than the current fight,” Ox said. “It really accelerates our timelines and puts us into very short decision times, especially as those platforms we are trying to identify get closer and closer to our defending point.”
Once the Raptors have verified that the aircraft are non-coalition, the pilots must relay what they are seeing to tactical control, such as the airborne E-3 Sentry and the ground-based Combined Air Operations Center, coalition aircraft and ground troops. It is their responsibility to move the other aircraft in the area out of harm’s way in case a confrontation occurs, Ox said.
In this defensive counterair (DCA) role, the main advantage the Raptor brings is its advanced sensor suite and fusion capability. But where the Strike Eagles performing DCA in the region are able to send and receive critical battlefield information over Link 16, the tactical data link used by most Air Force aircraft, the F-22s do not have full Link 16 capability. This means the Raptors can receive data and imagery from other aircraft in the battlespace over Link 16, but cannot send the advanced picture the fifth-generation aircraft generates to the rest of the force.
Instead, the F-22 pilots must rely on traditional voice communication to describe what they are seeing, Ox said.
Once the air pace around the threatening aircraft is deconflicted, it becomes a waiting game. The Raptors are closely monitoring the Russian fighters for any sign of aggressive behavior, and are ready to act at the slightest hint of a confrontation.
The U.S. pilots sometimes ping the Russian aircraft over the emergency Guard frequency, but usually do not get a response.
“I couldn’t tell if they are monitoring Guard like we are, I couldn’t tell you if maybe they are hearing it and not responding,” Ox said.
One factor that limits the Raptors’ ability to effectively monitor the Russian fighters is lack of a helmet-mounted cueing system, which equips many other fighters such as the F-35. Such a capability would make DCA operations more effective, particularly in congested airspace, Ox noted. In current operations, Raptor pilots lose time looking back and forth between the visual airspace and the information on the displays.
“It’s just that extra step, and now I’m having to look back outside and find this guy, and a lot of times I’m just looking where I last saw him instead of looking with the helmet and actually having some symbology that shows me exactly where he is,” Ox said. “It would be great to be able to keep our eye on the guy that you are watching and having all that information that is already known to the jet be presented to you.”
Since Ox’s squadron arrived at Al Dhafra at the end of September, they have not had to run interference, which would likely involve buzzing non-coalition aircraft. But a few recent instances have been “right on the edge,” Ox said.
“We don’t typically do those headbutt-type operations very often… but we’ve been close as of late,” Ox said.
Jura The idiot
General
Jura The idiot
General
Monday at 8:51 PM
now DefenseTech The F-22 Mission in Afghanistan: Overkill or Realistic Training?now I moved to The Aviationist and what the ...
Raptors bombing poppy fields:
U.S. F-22 Stealth Jets Perform Raptor’s First Ever Air Strike In Afghanistan Employing Small Diameter Bombs
Read more at
Three years ago, the made its combat debut in Syria.
The idea was for the fifth-generation fighter to use its stealth technology to evade detection from surface-to-air missile batteries in a contested region. But the Syrians apparently had no plans to fire on U.S. aircraft, at least before the Russians entered the battlespace. So the twin-engine aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air superiority : serve as a high-altitude reconnaissance platform and major airborne command post.
Similarly, when the Raptor made its combat debut on Sunday in Afghanistan, the jet conducted , pummelling suspected drug labs in the country with small diameter bombs, officials said.
While some observers criticized the mission as overkill and a waste of resources, officials inside and outside of the Air Force said it served a purpose by employing particular munitions designed to minimize collateral damage and by offering realistic training to learn more about how the weapon system performs in combat scenarios.
“We opted to use the F-22 for this operation because of its ability to carry the small diameter bomb that was necessary to keep collateral damage to an absolute minimum, and because the SDBs needed for the operation were located there with the aircraft,” Lt. Col Damien Pickart, spokesman for Air Forces Central Command, said in response to an email from .
At the onset, the decision to use the Raptor seemed puzzling, as the Taliban and militants in region do not have the sophisticated weaponry the aircraft was built to dodge.
The F-22s were joined by and to conduct an expanded strike mission — called the new offensive campaign — against the Taliban’s revenue stream, said Gen. John Nicholson, commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission and U.S. Forces Afghanistan.
When asked about the strike, Nicholson said the Raptor was employed “because of its ability to deliver precision munitions.”
Realistic Training
But it’s not just about the weapons they employ — it’s also extra practice for pilots, according to at least one defense analyst in Washington, D.C.
“We’re using F-22s in Afghanistan for the same reason the Russians are using their latest bombers and ships and missiles in Syria: Realistic training,” the source told on background. “We both have a generation of weapons that we haven’t used in combat, and the more we can learn about how they actually work as opposed to how they work on our test ranges, the better equipped will be for when it’s not a permissive fight.”
When the U.S. is fighting a war, the analyst added, “it’s not about choosing the cheapest weapon — it’s about using the one that will get there when you need it with what you need aboard.”
Granted, the military has a number of aircraft — the and — that , a precision-guided glide bomb developed by Boeing Co.
“But if [U.S. Central Command] is to be believed, many of them were busy elsewhere,” the source said. “To a commander, it’s silly to have a usable asset and not use it just because you think it may be overqualified.”
Refueling Support
F-22s began the mission, Pickart said, and s continued the operation as the bombing runs kept rolling.
Refueling tankers — including s from Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, and s from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates — provided refueling support for the Raptors.
“These aircraft were used to refuel aircraft coming from both locations, as well as fuel other aircraft operating in the theater during” the strikes, between Nov. 19 and 20, Pickart said.
The command used tankers in Afghanistan for the F-16s to distribute support, he said.
“The KC-135s based out of Kandahar, [Afghanistan], provided refueling support for F-16s conducting routine close air support and strike missions that continued in Afghanistan while this new offensive was underway,” the spokesman said.
He added, that throughout the night between Nov. 20 and 21, the Air Force conducted “additional strikes on narcotic facilities using F-16s based out of Bagram and they were supported by the Kandahar-based KC-135s.”
More Airstrikes
The F-22s launched , where the planes reside for operations in the Middle East. The Raptors are part of the 95th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of , Florida. Whether commanders will use the Raptors again for another mission in the country remains to be seen.
Earlier this year, the military the most powerful conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal — the 21,600-pound GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) nicknamed “mother of all bombs” — in the first-ever use of the munition in combat. But the MOAB hasn’t made a comeback — yet.
Meantime, the number of strikes from F-16s aircraft in the country are on the rise. The Air Force dropped more than 900 weapons in August and September combined, up from 270 for the same timeframe last year, .
“We’ve used airpower — than any year since 2012,” Nicholson said on Monday. “We did this because the Afghans were on the offensive more. And so we were able to get out there in a pre-planned manner, bringing in assets to assist, to deliver a lot of munitions.”
He added, “We’ve been very robust in our use of airpower in support of the Afghans on the offensive this year.”
F-22 saves fuel by flying faster
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AFNS) -- On a Sunday morning just outside of Anchorage, Alaska, a group of Hawaii Air National Guard fighter pilots gathered around a desk at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to hear the day's operational briefing after three weeks of training at Red Flag Alaska.
As they sipped coffee and listened to the delivery control officer, they learned the mission was not difficult, but it was certainly unique.
In support of the Air Force Operational Energy Program, six F-22 Raptors flew from Alaska to JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, accompanied by two aerial refueling KC-10 Extenders Aug. 13, 2017, to determine if flying at an increased speed could optimize operational energy consumption.
“It’s important to preserve our resources,” said Capt. Dan Thompson, F-22 pilot and the flight lead. “Good training is an absolute necessity for our combat capability, so preserving resources and hours on the airplane gives us the ability to invest those [hours] in training opportunities and time back home.”
The concept of increased speed, although seemingly counter-intuitive, was first explored by the 618th Air Operations Center in 2014. They discovered that flying at a higher speed could save total fuel consumption and flight hours. But it still needed to be proven in action.
To demonstrate the concept, one cell of F-22s and an accompanying tanker for refueling, flew at a higher velocity, while the other cell flew the standard profile and acted as a control group. Throughout the five hour flight, researchers collected multiple data points in order to compare results from both cells.
The faster cell was able to cut about 10 percent off the total flight time and six percent of the fuel required for this type of aircraft re-deployment.
“Last year about 1,250 Air Force fighter aircraft were deployed/redeployed in this manner,” said Roberto Guerrero, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for operational energy. “Smart execution like this not only saves us operational costs, but more importantly, preserves time on the aircraft for higher value sorties like combat and training".
As the largest consumer of fuel across the U.S. federal government, spending nearly $5 billion annually, the Air Force aims to increase operational energy efficiency while continuing to ensure mission success. The next step is to apply this method across other fighter platforms.
“When it comes to operational energy, it’s important to be as efficient as possible, allowing us to maximize the number of fighters we move and saving both the government and the taxpayer money while doing it,” said Lt. Col. Russell Johnson, delivery control officer from the Air Operation Squadron at Air Combat Command headquarters.
The mission of Air Force Operational Energy is to break barriers by connecting Airmen with technology, data, and innovative thinking to develop and champion energy-informed solutions across the Air Force. For more information and news visit: .
Damaged F-22 makes comeback after six-year repair job
Lockheed Martin F-22 grounded since a trainee pilot’s error led to a crash landing in May 2012 could be ready to return to service next March after a nearly six-year-long repair job, according to a new US Air force document.
The process to return the aircraft, serial number 4037, to service condition offers a glimpse into the effort the USAF will undertake to keep as many of the limited number of F-22s flying rather than writing them off after extensive damages.
The return-to-flight effort was documented in a presentation two weeks ago to the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program conference in Jacksonville, Florida by Joseph Neslon, a USAF civilian working in the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center.
The repair effort began shortly after the mishap occurred on 31 May 2012. A trainee pilot at Tyndall AFB, Florida, attempted a touch-and-go landing, but mistakenly retracted the landing gear before advancing the throttle to military power. Instead of taking off, the aircraft settled on its metallic and carbonfibre belly and skidded 853m (2,800ft) down the runway until stopping. The pilot then exited the aircraft without injury by opening the canopy.
A team of USAF, Lockheed and Boeing structural repair experts convened to analyse damages valued at about $35 million, according to Nelson’s presentation.
In addition to repairing scratches to the skins of the wing and the stabilator, the USAF also replaced the skins and doors of the central and aft fuselage.
The analysis also showed that two internal components – a fuselage bulkhead and a section of wing skin – required the USAF to install metallic and carbonfibre patches, Nelson’s presentation shows. The most significant repairs were made to the bulkhead known as flight station 637, where buckled webs needed to be replaced with large structural patches.
The USAF is finalilsing the repairs to the FS 637 and the wing skins, Nelson adds, but the aircraft is due to return to service by March.
Serial number 4037 will return around the same time that the USAF plans to re-introduce another mothballed F-22 to flying status. Serial number 4006, one of the original test aircraft, had been parked in flyable storage, but is scheduled to return to service soon with Block 20 software.
The F-22 fleet stands at 137 combat-coded aircraft, 15 test aircraft and 31 training aircraft.
Jura The idiot
General
posted kinda background in
Russian Military News, Reports, Data, etc. Sunday at 2:37 PM
F-22s Fire Warning Flares at Russian Jets in Coalition Territory
Russian Military News, Reports, Data, etc. Sunday at 2:37 PM
now Military.com story:U.S. F-22 Raptor Allegedly Interfered With Russian Su-25s Over Syria And “Chased Away” By Su-35S, Russian MoD Claims
I noticed before, but wouldn't quote Sputnik just like that LOL
F-22s Fire Warning Flares at Russian Jets in Coalition Territory
Two U.S. stealth fighters intercepted two Russian Su-25 fighter jets Wednesday, conducting multiple maneuvers, firing warning flares and, in one instance, aggressively flying to avoid colliding with one another, U.S. officials tell Military.com.
The Su-25s -- single-seat, twin-engine aircraft -- "flew into coordinated coalition airspace on the east side of the Euphrates River near Abu Kamal, Syria, and were promptly intercepted," Air Forces Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. Damien Pickart told Military.com in an email.
The F-22s, the U.S.' most advanced fighter aside from the , were in the area providing air cover for partner ground forces conducting operations against the Islamic State, he said.
"The F-22s conducted multiple maneuvers to persuade the Su-25s to depart our deconflicted airspace, including the release of chaff and flares in close proximity to the Russian aircraft and placing multiple calls on the emergency channel to convey to the Russian pilots that they needed to depart the area," Pickart said.
During one maneuver, an Su-25 flew so close to an F-22 "that it had to aggressively maneuver to avoid a midair collision," he said.
A Russian Su-35 multi-role fighter was also involved.
An F-22 ended up trailing the Su-35 after it flew across the river into territory deemed unsafe to coalition aircraft.
"The incident lasted approximately 40 minutes before the Russian aircraft flew to the west side of the river. During and following the encounter, coalition leaders at the [Combined Air Operations Center in Al Udeid, Qatar] contacted the Russians on the deconfliction line to de-escalate the situation and avert a strategic miscalculation," Pickart said.
AFCENT officials said the Russians had "verbally agreed" in November through the deconfliction line that they would remain west of the Euphrates River, and the coalition would operate to the East, he said.
"Since agreeing to this deconfliction arrangement, the Russians have flown into our airspace on the east side of the river 6-8 times per day, or approximately 10 percent of the Russian and Syrian flights," Pickart noted.
"If either of us needs to cross the river for any reason, we're supposed to first deconflict via the line," he said. "It's become increasingly tough for our pilots to discern whether Russian pilots' actions are deliberate or if these are just honest mistakes."
Officials have said recently that coalition aircraft -- more than a dozen air forces cooperating to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria -- are concerned about the shrinking airspace.
"The coalition's greatest concern is that we could shoot down a Russian aircraft because its actions are seen as a threat to our air or ground forces," Pickart said. "We train our aircrew to take specific actions and to make every attempt possible to de-escalate the situation wherever possible."
He continued, "We are not here to fight the Russians and Syrians -- our focus remains on defeating ISIS. That said, if anyone threatens coalition or friendly partner forces in the air or on the ground, we will defend them."
"Keep em flying Boys!",,, 183 is a "golden number", and sounds like we may be getting another bird back??
That inverted bird is just the most gorgeous thang ever,,, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous,, lets put the F-22 BACK IN PRODUCTION!
Yes Beautiful !
Details...183 serie F-22s remains also 3 pre-serie test aircrafts, 5 get retired eventualy possible also upgraded one from the USAF museum but i fear expensive Buddy"Keep em flying Boys!",,, 183 is a "golden number", and sounds like we may be getting another bird back??