Lockheed Martin manufactured the F-22 Raptor for the United States Air force, which is popular for its advanced stealth features, speed and agility. But still as much as it is among the world’s most advanced fighter jets, the F-22 comes with a lot of shortcomings that have been widely discussed:
1. High Costs:The F-22 is the one of the most expensive fighter jets ever built. The overall program cost is estimated to be $67 billion. The average cost to procure each aircraft is around $150 million per aircraft. This expensive price tag limits the production numbers of this jet to just 195, with 187 being currently operational today. The high costs don’t just stop here for the Raptor, it’s also very costly to maintain and keep in flight ready status with an average operation cost estimated at $60,000 per flight hour.
2. Maintenance Demands:The F-22, however, is notorious for being extremely expensive to maintain. Like any advanced aircraft, all of the Raptor’s systems, stealth included, need regular and extensive maintenance. The stealth coating in particular needs a lot of tender loving care to keep the jet radar-evading. The high level of maintenance drives up operational costs and subsequently brings down the aircraft availability.
3. Export Restrictions:The F-22 is one of the most tightly controlled exports under U.S. law, specifically the Obey Amendment, which bars its sale to foreign countries. While it is true that the Obey Amendment was designed to safeguard the F-22’s cutting-edge technology, it also precludes the U.S. from providing this ability to friendly nations and diminishing future international collaboration.
4. Limited Production and Upgradability: Because of the expense and the 2011 halt to production, not all that many F-22s were ever made, and this in turn complicates the prospect of using large numbers of them and getting much useful work out of the planes. The Raptor’s innards—that is, its avionics and computing—you’ll remember, right?—are obsolescent in some cases and in other instances simply obsolete. Upgrading all this stuff, even if one had vast amounts of money on hand with which to do so…oh wait!
5. Logistical Challenges: The F-22 is a highly specialised aircraft and as such requires specialised support to maintain and operate, this in turn limits its ability to be deployed. Additionally, it requires personnel with high levels of training which again adds to the logistics. Due to these factors, rapid deployment can prove difficult in certain circumstances.
Conclusion The F-22 Raptor, although highly advanced, has several significant disadvantages as well: it is very expensive; its maintenance demands are great; and its logistical support requirements are excessive. Its low production rate and export restrictions also significantly complicate its use in modern air combat, but these drawbacks illustrate the inherent trade-offs associated with the deployment of such an advanced aircraft.