MW: US Congress prevents Pentagon from decommissioning F-22 Raptor fighter jets
The US Congress is trying to slow down the decommissioning of the F-22 Raptor fighters, but the Pentagon continues to insist on the need to replace the Air Force fighter fleet with F-35 aircraft. The first 30 F-22s should be decommissioned this year, but Congress is proposing to extend the period until 2030 due to technical the complexities of the F-35 aircraft.
However, the defense department has calculated that another 7 years of operation of 180 F-22 aircraft will cost the US budget $ 9 billion. This is equivalent to the cost of 110 new F-35s. In addition to the high cost of operation, the F-22 in many ways loses from a technical point of view to the aircraft of a potential enemy. Military Watch Magazine believes that the continued use and modernization of the F-22 is not economically viable.
A major factor driving up the cost of keeping the F-22 in service is the current obsolescence of their avionics, even when compared to fourth-generation fighters of the early 2000s and even more so when compared to fifth-generation competitors such as the F-35 and J-20. . This calls into question their viability in air combat, in particular, the lack of modern data transmission channels.
writes MW.
The F-22 Raptor cannot compete in terms of weapons with its main competitor, the Chinese J-20 fighter. In addition, the American aircraft has a very short flight range, which is a serious problem in the event of a conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. In general, its further operation is unprofitable. However, Congress insists on keeping the F-22 in service, since it is problematic to quickly replace them with new fighters.
The absence of any other air superiority-optimized fighter in the US Navy other than the F-15, which has been flying since 1972, as well as serious problems hindering the development of the much lighter fifth-generation F-35 fighter, have caused indecision. in Congress regarding the start of the decommissioning of the F-22, despite its significant shortcomings
writes MW.
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