Price of Shooting Down Chinese Balloon: What is the US F-22 Raptor Jet?

The F-22, which was designed as an air superiority fighter, made its maiden flight in 1997, and eight years later, one of the world’s most expensive warplanes entered service with the US Air Force (USAF).

Last week’s shoot-down of a Chinese balloon by a US F-22 Raptor fighter jet marked the first time the fifth-generation aircraft had downed an airborne target since it made its combat debut in Syria and Iraq in 2015, where the plane carried out strikes on ground targets, Washington-based national security analyst Rebecca Grant told a US media outlet.

Grant pointed out that downing the balloon “was indeed the F-22’s first air-to-air kill.” This was echoed by another news outlet, which reported that the Chinese balloon incident “may be the highest altitude air-to-air kill ever” to have been conducted by a Raptor. So what is this beast all about and why is it considered the most powerful fighter jet in the world? Is it accurate to refer to the F-22 as the best fighter jet in the world? Sputnik has the answers to these and other questions.

What is the F-22?
A critical component of the USAF’s Global Strike Task Force, the fifth-generation F-22 was made by Lockheed Martin and designed as an air superiority fighter jet to destroy threats to the US Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.
This stealth and all-weather, two-engine warplane featuring integrated avionics and maneuverability first flew in 1997 and entered service with the USAF in December 2005.

How Fast is the Raptor?
The F-22 is capable of making a so-called “supercruise,” something that helps the jet reach supersonic speeds without afterburning.
The aircraft’s maximum speed stands at about 2,414 km/h (1,499 miles/h).

Which Countries Use the F-22?
There is only one country that operates the Raptor - the US.
The F-22 cannot be exported under a US federal law to secure and protect the warplane’s stealth technology and classified features.

How Many F-22s Does the US Have?
Since entering service in 2005, 195 Raptors have been built and currently, eight of them are in testing while the other 187 are fully operational with the USAF.

How Expensive is the Raptor?
The F-22's price tag ranges between $206 million and $216 million for just one jet.

Is the F-22 Most Powerful Fighter in the World?
Even though the Raptor is touted as the world’s most powerful fighter, the Russian-made Su-35 multirole warplane apparently prevails over the F­-22 in terms of maximum speed and range. Unlike the US aircraft's 2,414 km/h, the Su-35’s maximum speed is 2,778 km/h (1,726 miles/h) and its range stands at 3,100 km (1,940 miles). The F-22's range is 2,960 km (1,840 miles).

Last year, a US media outlet gave kudos to the Russian warplane, stressing that “although developed primarily as an air superiority fighter, the Su-35 remains a truly multirole aircraft and, unlike its American rival the F-22 Raptor or its Soviet predecessor the Su-27, is capable of deploying a wide range of standoff precision guided weapons for air to ground and anti-hipping roles.”

What Was the Raptor's Combat Debut?
The F-22 made its combat debut in 2015, nine years after it was deemed warfare-ready. At the time, the stealth fighter was used primarily to carry out guided airstrikes against Daesh* positions in Syria and Iraq.
The USAF touted the Raptor’s “success” in those missions as vindication of the warplane that had repeatedly been slammed for being too expensive to operate and an array of F-22-related technical troubles in the mid-2000s, which even led to the grounding of the warplane’s fleet in 2011.

Why Did the USAF Scrap the F-22 Procurement Program?
In the 2000s, the USAF's procurement goal of buying more F-22s was questioned over rising costs, initial reliability and availability problems, as well as a lack of relevant adversaries for air combat missions. In 2006, then-US Comptroller General David Walker found that "the DoD has not demonstrated the need" for more investment in the F-22, with further opposition expressed by the Bush administration. Two years later, then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated that the F-22 lacked relevance in asymmetric post-Cold War conflicts, and in 2009, he called for production to end in FY 2011 after completing 187 F-22s.

In 2016, the House Armed Services Committee cited advances in the air warfare systems of Russia and China and directed the USAF to conduct a cost study and assessment so as to resume production of the F-22s. A year later, the USAF, however, submitted their report to Congress stating they had no plans to restart the F-22 production line due to economic and logistical challenges. The USAF estimated that it would cost approximately $50 billion to procure 194 additional F-22s at a cost of about $216 million per a jet.

Why Was the F-22 Used to Down the Chinese Balloon?
After an F-22 fired its $400,000 AIM 9X Sidewinder missile to destroy a Chinese balloon over Montana last Saturday, some questioned the need for using such an expensive jet to bring down a “harmless” high-altitude floating object.

Supporters of the mission argued that among the fighters the US possesses, the F-22 has the highest service ceiling and is the most capable of conducting a precision strike at such heights. According to the US Department of Defense, the F-22 launched the missile at the balloon from an altitude of 58,000 feet , while the balloon at the time was between 60,000 feet and 65,000 feet.

Former Department of Defense analyst-turned anti-war whistleblower and activist Karen Kwiatkowski, for her part, told Sputnik that in any case, the shoot-down of the balloon with the help of a fifth-generation jet looks “silly.”
Although the US claims that the unmanned balloon was being used for espionage purposes, China insists the airship was a civilian craft engaged in scientific research that was blown off course by high winds.

SOURCE


Americans Call For Biden's Resignation Amid 'spy Balloon' Blunder
https://www.nairaland.com/7555919/americans-call-bidens-resignation-amid

Shootdown Of Chinese Weather Balloon Using 5th-gen Jet Looks Silly
https://www.nairaland.com/7556280/shootdown-chinese-weather-balloon-using

FreddieGray:


It has been established and it's a fact that the West had engaged in pre colonial, colonial and post colonial exploitation of African resources. The US/West exploits the world through various clandestine activities but most especially it's currency. The economic disparity between the collective west and developing countries can be considered an exploitation or rebranded slavery. The legal minimum wage for jobs in most western countries is the equivalent of $10/hr. For illustration, A factory worker in the US/west earns $15/hr, 8 hours per day in a 5 day work week = about $500 weekly. In 2 weeks time, this factory worker would be able to save about $1000 for a tech product (let's say an iPhone).... I know this worker will have other needs but this is just for illustration. Meanwhile, a factory worker in Nigeria working 8 hours a day..maybe 10K a day ..in a 5 day work week would earn like 50K naira weekly...in 2 weeks, that's 100K naira (less than $250 as of today). Both had the same labour input but the Nigerian was exploited by the hegemon. The West influenced the politics of Africa. Most African countries are still under defacto colonialism. The Western interference in our domestic politics allows them install puppets('African leaders') who in turn give the colonizers a free hand to loot our resources. We can take advantage of the rivalry between the West and East and use it to our own benefit.

Napata77:
THE WEST IS EVERYONE'S DESTINATION BECAUSE THEY'VE CORNERED THE RICHES OF THE WORLD THROUGH MILITARY TERROR AND BRIGANDAGE GOING BACK 1,000 YEARS, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE ANGELS. THE CHINAS AND RUSSIAS OF THE WORLD ARE 'TYRANNICAL' BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO UNITE INTERNALLY TO FIGHT WESTERN IMPERIALISM. IT CANNOT BE DONE VIA 'DEMOCRACY' BECAUSE EVERY NATION IS FILLED WITH SELLOUTS AND TRAITORS READY TO SABOTAGE THEIR NATION FOR A MESS OF POTTAGE.

ParasiteWest:
There cannot be a right government until the West is put in their place. The interest of the West in developing countries is to make sure the developing countries remain impoverished so the citizens of those countries would find migration to the West for 'greener pastures' attractive where they're then exploited and exposed to modern day slavery. Their intent is to keep the West as a 'paradise' in the minds of the manipulated public. The West influenced the politics of Africa directly/indirectly. The right govt will get the 'Gaddafi treatment'

AnyanwuSilas:
I'm an Igbo man and not a Muslim, I know what's good for Africans, it's the West that destabilise our continent and take our best brain, why should I live in the US or RUSSIA when chance is being created by Russia to build my home? Russia have more nuclear warheads than the US, nobody will win a nuclear war, it will simply destroy the world, as an African it's better the world be destroyed and sent back to stone age instead the US will enslave the world, you think Russia is alone? The US are hypocrite, what did Obama do for Africans as a black man? they rather used him to destabilised Africa, was it not Obama that killed Gaddafi, Let’s be Frank, a multipolar world is better than one world order.

Mods, I hope this gets your attention.
nlfpmod, Skydancer, Erad, Cao, Mkmyers45, Dragnet, Twinstaiye, Mikuz, Nex, Osystein, mynd44, Tjskii, Olawalebabs, seun, Obinoscopy, mukina2, Lawyer, FarmTech, Briareos, Obinnau, Divepen1, RoyalRoy, Pavore9, Prof800, CrazyMan, FOD, Ben13, Dani1luv, Sissie, Uboma, Rocktation, Richiez, farano, Justwise, oam4j, Honsule, lalasticlala, Airmark, Odumchi, Marpol, Semid4lyfe, DisGuy, Bigfrancis21, Davide470, 1forall, R231 and dominique.

When the USA is not Benin Republic or Togo.

A single Nigerian politician can even spend that amount alone on estacode for foreign trips. Can $400,000 even buy a duplex in some part of Lekki. I don't think so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JREMEqXSpGA


nlfpmod, Skydancer, Erad, Cao, Mkmyers45, Dragnet, Twinstaiye, Mikuz, Nex, Osystein, mynd44, Tjskii, Olawalebabs, seun, Obinoscopy, mukina2, Lawyer, FarmTech, Briareos, Obinnau, Divepen1, RoyalRoy, Pavore9, Prof800, CrazyMan, FOD, Ben13, Dani1luv, Sissie, Uboma, Rocktation, Richiez, farano, Justwise, oam4j, Honsule, lalasticlala, Airmark, Odumchi, Marpol, Semid4lyfe, DisGuy, Bigfrancis21, Davide470, 1forall, R231 and dominique.

Joe Biden orders pentagon to shoot down the chinese spy balloon


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDFl1rJGOvw