Modern Fighters: Why the F-22s and F-35s Are Not Worth Their Cost

     The United States military has been working on two main projects to develop aircraft that will replace the fighters we commissioned in the Cold War. The A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon, and F-18 Hornets have served the United States well for decades. However, the U.S. demands have brought two new fighters onto the scene, the F-35 Lightning II (formerly called the JSF) and the F-22 Raptor (formerly called the Lightning II).

     These new projects were in fact successes in the fact that these planes are slightly more maneuverable and offer some stealth capabilities. However, many aspects of the new fighters makes them impractical. The F-35 was designed to be an all purpose aircraft, or Joint Strike fighter. The F-35 can takeoff and land conventionally, takeoff on a short runway and land vertically, or takeoff of and land on aircraft carriers, based upon what model of the aircraft it is. Ironically, the F-35B can takeoff on a short runway but land vertically. If its vertical capabilities are limited to landing only, does that mean if you land vertically in a narrow opening on the battlefield that you can’t takeoff again? A question for the designers of the aircraft. Other problems with the B model include fuel consumption and a lower max takeoff weight than the other two models.

     The F-22 Raptor has some issues as well. One main thing about the F-22 was that it had “stealth capabilities”. When the F-22 only has its six internal missile launchers loaded, it does in fact have at least some stealth active. However, a bomb/ missile load of six isn’t much when compared to an F-14, F-15, F-16, or F-18. If you are thinking to yourself that the F-22 can carry more than six missiles you are correct. The F-22 can carry up to 16 weapons. However, in doing so the F-22 must use its external weapon hardpoints. Another question arises, why can’t they just load up the external hardpoints? Remember, the main purpose of the F-22 was to be stealth and putting on even one missile will ruin any stealth-like properties the plane had. Plus all of the great performance statistics come from when the plane isn’t loaded. When you put a full load of missiles on, and the F-22 no longer has its great stealth and aerodynamic properties, don’t you have a glorified F-15?

Both planes seem very impractical as both of their purposes are contradicted by their own flaws. The greatest flaw yet is their price. The F-22 costs about 125 million per aircraft and the F-35 about 85 million. If one F-15 costs less than 40 million and we already have the machinery to mass produce the F-15, well you do the math. The F-35s and F-22s flaw are definitely not worth their extreme costs.