For the US military, the stealth fighter F-35 Lightning II (lightning) and F-22 Raptor (raptor) from contractor Lockheed Martin are two very important weapons. These two stealth fighters are considered the most modern fighter aircraft in the world.

Military magazine The National Interest interviewed veteran David Berke, a retired US Marine Corps officer, to find answers to some intriguing questions about these modern stealth aircraft models.

Over the years, Mr. Berke has built up a truly admirable personal profile. When posted aboard the US Navy’s USS John C Stennis, Mr. Berke twice participated in supporting combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan while controlling F/A-18 fighters.

He then adapted well to flying the F-22 while serving as a division commander in the Test and Evaluation Squadron.

Mr. Berke also has the honor of being the first active duty pilot to ever fly and be qualified to fly the F-35B, serving as commanding officer of the US Marine Corps’ first F-35 squadron from 2012 to 2012. 2014.

F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II ‘compared’

The EurAsian Times news site previously published a detailed comparison article about these two stealth aircraft models.

The F-35 is a multi-role, single-seat, single-engine stealth fighter capable of performing ground аttаck and air defense missions. Meanwhile, the F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine tactical fighter specializing in air superiority.

It was in the mid-1990s when the Joint Striker Program was initiated. While the first prototype called the used by 14 countries around the world.

According to Lockheed Martin, as of June 2021, more than 645 F-35 fighters have been delivered and operated from 26 bases around the world. More than 1,255 pilots and 10,030 maintenance personnel have been trained on the aircraft.

The F-35 comes in three variants, all single-seat. The F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing variant, most popular with international customers. The F-35B is a short-run vertical takeoff/landing variant that can operate on land or on aircraft carriers. The F-35C is a variant exclusively for the US Navy.

In the opposite direction, the F-22 Raptor is exclusively for the US Air Force. The US has issued a ban on exporting this fighter because the US government is worried that such great designs and technology will fall into the wrong hands.

In addition, the F-22 Raptor has many special features that are considered top sеcrеt by the Pentagon, to the point that even pilots are prohibited from using the aircraft’s full capabilities in international exercises, even Exercise with close allies.

In terms of stealth technology, the F-22 Raptor is considered the fighter aircraft with the best stealth capabilities in the world. That’s because the F-22 has a much smaller radar reflection cross-section than the F-35.

Although the F-35 is equipped with the most modern features, this fighter model is built to conduct air-to-ground missions. Therefore, the F-35 is not capable of “figҺting” the F-22 Raptor when it comes to air combat, as the F-22 is an air superiority fighter.

The F-35 cannot match the F-22 as an air superiority fighter, the F-35 was never designed to be. The original plan of the US Air Force was for the F-22 to become a superior air combat fighter while the F-35 was basically developed as an air-to-ground аttаck aircraft capable of self-defense. .

While the F-22 is designed with advanced stealth and suρer maneuverability, the F-35 is designed to be stealthy with special sensors, but with aerodynamics it can only be compared to the F. -16 and can’t beаt the F-22 Raptor.

While some variants possess vertical takeoff/landing capabilities among other features, the F-22 is still superior in speed. According to defense analyst Colin Ritsick, when it comes to sheer speed, the F-35 can’t match it, but it wasn’t built for it. The F-35, with its air-to-ground combat design, is not designed for breakthrough speed. The F-35 has a maximum speed of 1,960 km/h and less maneuverability than the F-22 in a dogfight scenario.

“The F-22 can accelerate up to 2,756 km/h. The F-22 climbs at a speed of nearly 19 kilometers per minute while the F-35 climbs at a speed of nearly 14 kilometers per minute,” Mr. Ritsick said.

However, despite the difference in speed, the F-35 is still strong enough to figҺt fighters that do not have stealth capabilities.

“The US Air Force hopes the F-35 with its stealth and sensor capabilities will be able to fill the gap between F-22 flights in a large-scale engagement. The F-35 does not have the perfect speed and altitude of the F-22, but it has excellent sensors and stealth capabilities, strong enough to figҺt aircraft that do not have stealth capabilities” – National Interest wrote .