The F-22 Raptor Is Already the Best Fighter Jet in the World. Now It’s Getting Even Better.
The U.S. Air Force operates a plethora of superb fighter jets. With a fleet of several different types of fighter jets, the Air Force knows that it can take on any threat out there. But if there is any particular fighter jet that stands out from the rest, it is certainly the F-22 Raptor.
The F-22 Is the Best Air Superiority Jet in the World
The F-22 is an air superiority fighter jet designed to track and shoot down enemy aircraft. The performance of the stealth fighter jet is outstanding. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines, the F-22 can hit speeds of over Mach 2, or more than 1,500 miles per hour; it also has the ability to supercruise, or fly at supersonic speeds without the use of afterburners.
However, the F-22 is best known for its rare ability to change direction mid-flight due to its thrust vectoring nozzles that can rapidly change the direction of propulsion—giving it a major advantage in close air combat against similar aircraft. The fighter jet has an operating ceiling of 50,000 feet.
In terms of munitions, the F-22 can take a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon systems. It also packs an M61A2 20-millimeter cannon with 480 rounds for close contact with enemy aircraft.
The F-22 has yet to shoot down any other aircraft. Yet it has consistently racked up lesser combat experience against new threats. In recent months, for instance, the Air Force........
© The National Interest
