F-22 Raptor

Ski8799

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Am I the only one who feels like putting AMRAAMs on top of drop tanks is a bad idea?

I'm sure they've throughly tested that configuration, but it does make you scratch your head at first.
 
Am I the only one who feels like putting AMRAAMs on top of drop tanks is a bad idea?

I'm sure they've throughly tested that configuration, but it does make you scratch your head at first.

I actually think that they were left with few other options, suggestions?
 
What do you

This is what a F-22 looks like with a drop tanks. It is a real US Air Force F-22A Raptor's arriving at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam July 20
 

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Great picture indeed Rock, thanks for sharing.

Anyone has any idea on how much RCS increase happens when there are drop tanks on the F-22?
 
RCS

Lunatik
Anyone has any idea on how much RCS increase happens when there are drop tanks on the F-22?
Hi Linatik
I'm sure that's classified but if you think about the size of a drop tank it might be about hundred times smaller then a fighter right, there or bouts. Modern fighter radar's can see other fighters on a good day from around 90 to 150 miles range, depending on the model. I'm not an engineer but know that bombs & missiles add to an aircraft RCS big time but I have to assume you'll have be closer then that 90 miles right? If the racks that hold the drops tanks can be released as well the F-22 could use them to come right up into the combat area and start off with full internal load.

Think a little further out of the box and use stealth shape drop tanks to even further cut down the detection range. Getting in those nasty tail shots in when the bad guy running on emepty still count as kills.
 
Yeap, that's the whole point, so that you can drop them and lose both a bulky radar signature and weight. The thing though is that internal bays don't always carry enough load / firepower, and you must make the hard decision of either using/risking more aircraft for the same job but remain more stealth or supply them with external weapons and reduce stealth, which will also likely increase weight and require drop tanks (even more weight) as well. I know a lot of other factors also effect radar detection range, but carrying more metal, regardless of what it's coated with or what geometric shape it has, is a major one that determines when the enemy will know you're there. And knowing that the Serbs were able to down an F-117 with no external load whatsoever, grrrrr, makes me have my doubts about how much we can really count on stealth. :confused:
 
Down F-117

Don't use the F-117 being shot as an example some factors played into that shooting. No one knows if anti-aircraft fire score some hits and the aircraft lost some of its stealth and/or the F-117 just flew right over the SAM site. One thing I read and that the aircraft used the same route coming and going out so getting a little smart/lucky and moving a missile launcher into the path might have played the biggest part in the shooting down.

The F-22 is built way after the F-117 and the stealth tech and know how has improved so much more, its like night and day. AWACS can't see them and have read that F-15C,F/A-18, and F-16 pilots who had a general idea where they were coming from still couldn't pick them up.

The F-22 carries more fuel the a F-15C so it has a good fuel load and range to begin with. What's released to the public is it carries 6-AIM-120, & 2-9M, missiles, not much less then a normal F-15C on long range flights with missile/drop tanks? And your taking shorter range high percentage shots.

The biggest difference is instead of launching the ARRAMS in salvos or in pairs at 30/35 miles away your launch is from 15 or 20 miles away and your targets doesn't know until the AIM-120 does there course adjustment and beams out a a little radar signal update and at this short range the targets gets a few seconds to say oh ****, and reach for the handle. Its not only the stealth but the targets reaction time turns into seconds against a missile that pulls a lot more Gs then a human can handle. Coming from below,above, and rear and nothing stops the F-22 from launching at 10 miles away. Which means 9M can be used and soon with better range 9X, which are even deadly because there IR and there's no radar course adjustment beamed out.
 
Yes, being the best air superiority fighter F-22 definitely owns everything in the air. I think the only way to spot it at normal ranges would be to either intercept the radio signals coming out of it or its IR signature, preferably from space. If you're relying on radar coverage against the Raptor you're pretty much blind. And since the F-22 is also unmatched in electronic warfare, the enemy'd better carry some later generation long range IR seeking missiles as well, like IRIS-T and MICA IR.
 
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