The Air Force will modify the handle that engages the emergency oxygen system in its entire fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets after a report found that it played a role in a crash that killed one of its top aviators.

The changes come as Anna Haney, the pilot's widow, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Lockheed Martin Corp. and subcontractors that designed and built the nation's most expensive fighter jet.

Capt. Jeff Haney, 31, died when his F-22 crashed in the Alaskan wilderness in November 2010.

In her suit, Anna Haney contends that the F-22 is "unreasonably defective" and that the oxygen-generation system, environmental-control system and other life-support systems were responsible for her husband's death.

The lawsuit is just the latest blemish for the controversial F-22, which the Air Force asserts is its most advanced fighter jet. The plane has been in service since 2005 yet has never been used in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya.

"One of the problems that was found with the emergency oxygen handle is that it's in a difficult place to get to in the dark," said John Noonan, aide to Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. "So the Air Force is doing some research on making adjustments to its location."

The Air Force confirmed in a statement that about 200 handles, costing $47 each, have been delivered, including spares. The new handles have already been installed in the jets at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, where Haney was based, the Air Force said.

Haney's inability to pull the handle during his fatal accident was one of the issues cited in an accident investigation report released by the Air Force in December.

In a detailed, minute-by-minute account, investigators found that Haney's oxygen supply was stopped automatically after the onboard computers detected an air leak in the engine bay. The aircraft system shut down the oxygen system to protect itself from further damage, as designed.

To save himself and the plane, Haney, wearing bulky cold-weather gear, should have leaned over and, with a gloved hand, pulled a green ring that was under his seat beside his left leg to engage the emergency system, the report said.

In the end, the Air Force blamed the accident on Haney's "channelized attention" to get oxygen through his mask instead of engaging the emergency system, which led to factors that contributed to the crash, the report said.

In her lawsuit, Haney's widow contends that the plane was "designed, manufactured, distributed and sold with a dangerous and defective backup oxygen system, which could only be activated manually, and whose manual activation mechanism was located underneath and behind the pilot."

The suit said the handle's location was "in an area impossible for a pilot to reach while he or she maneuvered the sophisticated aircraft at speeds exceeding the speed of sound and while he or she experienced forces many times the force of gravity."

Lockheed declined to answer questions about the suit, which was filed in Illinois state court in Chicago. Instead, the company issued a statement denying the allegations and announcing it planned to fight the accusations.

"The loss of the pilot and aircraft in November 2010 was a tragic event, and we sympathize with the family for their loss," the statement said. "We are aware that a complaint that makes a variety of claims associated with the accident has been filed with the court in Cook County, Ill. We do not agree with those allegations."

Other contractors that work on the F-22 -- such as Boeing Co., Honeywell International Inc. and Pratt & Whitney -- wouldn't answer questions involving the pending litigation.

Over the years, F-22 pilots have reported dozens of incidents in which the jet's oxygen systems weren't feeding them enough air, causing wooziness. This issue led to the grounding of the entire fleet last year for nearly five months.

An independent scientific advisory board working under the direction of the Air Force studied safety issues on the plane. Although the report has not become public, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz said last month that the advisory board did not find a cause of the oxygen problems. Still, the Air Force decided the planes were safe to return to the sky.

"We have not identified a specific engineering fault," Schwartz said in a speech sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, "but a number of ways that we can assure that adequate oxygen, in a very high-performance airplane that operates over a very extensive altitude band, protects the operators and maintains their physiological capacity to rock and roll."

Since the jets returned to service in mid-September, the Air Force said, there have been nine incidents in which F-22 pilots during flight reported symptoms of hypoxia -- a condition that can bring on nausea, headaches, fatigue or blackouts when the body is deprived of oxygen. Four occurred last month.

According to the Air Force, each of the sleek, diamond-winged aircraft cost $143 million. Counting upgrades, research and development costs, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that each F-22 cost U.S. taxpayers $412 million.

william.hennigan@latimes.com

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Despite the fact the F-22 Raptor has been grounded, never seen combat in seven years, caused multiple health problems including one death, and is outperformed by cheaper foreign jets in dogfights — Mitt Romney thinks the US needs more of them.

Michael Hoffman at DoD Buzz reports Romney wants more of the beleaguered fighters as part of his plan to reverse defense cuts planned by the Obama administration.

The GOP candidate went on to tell a Virginia Beach television station, he wouldn't include the military in spending cuts at all:

“Rather than completing nine ships per year, I’d move that up to 15. I’d also add F-22s to our Air Force fleet. And I’d add about 100,000 active duty personnel to our military team,” Romney said. “I think the idea of shrinking our military to try and get closer to balancing our budget is the wrong place to look.”

Because of the massive problems faced by the F-22, production was halted by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates in 2009. Reopening production would cost almost $1 billion alone:

From DoD Buzz:

If Romney wins and follows through on his plan to buy more F-22s, it would cost at least $900 million to reopen the F-22 production line ... In 2010, Japan discussed buying 40 F-22s from Lockheed Martin, builder of the F-22. Lockheed officials then told Japanese leaders it would cost $900 million to re-open the production line. Thompson said the cost would surely increase when considering two years have passed and the production line was still “semi-warm.”

The F-22 is the Air Force's newest fighter and the only "fifth-generation" fighter in the world. Fifth-generation planes are able to evade detection, even when armed, possess high-performance air frames, and cutting edge avionics capable of integrating with other battlefield networks.

The cost of each F-22, after reopening production, is about $143 million.

Now: See what happened to Jeff Haney in his fatal F-22 crash >

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The U.S. Air Force will continue to investigate the oxygen concentration levels in F-22 Raptor cockpits in the wake of reports about fluctuations of those numbers noted during studies of recent pilot breathing problems.

“We also will study and as necessary revise the schedule by which the Obogs (On-Board Oxygen Generation System) adjusts the oxygen concentration delivered to the pilot to better mitigate against the identified effects of too low or too high a concentration,” says service spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Sholtis.

Oxygen concentration level fluctuations were noted in the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Report on Aircraft Oxygen Generation, which delved into the recent Raptor pilot breathing problems and was released last month.

“As the aircraft descends and the pilot puts eight Gs on the aircraft, the percentage of oxygen produced by the Obogs is reduced,” the report says. “As the pilot reduces the G load, the Obogs begins to recover and then the percentage of oxygen produced by the Obogs is reduced again when the pilot reapplies the Gs.”

The report says, “The amount of oxygen being produced does decrease to between 60 percent and 70 percent.”

A software “deep dive” is under way, the report says, as well as a further assessment of the reasons for the drop in oxygen concentration noted under G-loads.

By design, the Obogs oxygen level for the F-22 is lower by five or six percentage points than levels required for earlier-type fighters, and the SAB report says there is “limited understanding of the aviation physiology implications of accepting a maximum 93–94 percent oxygen level instead of the 99+ percent previously required.”

The report says, “Given the F-22’s unique operational envelope, there is insufficient feedback to the pilot about the partial pressure of oxygen in the breathing air,” adding there is “no indication of pilot oxygen saturation throughout the F-22 flight envelope.”

The report also cautions that “ECS (environmental control system) shutdowns are more frequent than expected and result in Obogs shutdown and cessation of breathing air to the pilot.”

Noting “some anomalies in the performance of the F-22 oxygen and anti-G delivery systems when the ECS cuts back or shuts down in-flight, or during the onset of High-G forces,” the report says the incidents “merit further analysis and testing.”

Obogs efficiency is key for flight operations, the report says. “Unlike most other aircraft oxygen generation systems, the breathing air to the F-22 pilot is not diluted with cockpit air to obtain the appropriate oxygen partial pressure (PPO2) necessary to maintain physiological function at a particular altitude, but rather it is concentrated to the necessary PPO2 by controlling the cycling of the Obogs.”

—This aticle first appeared in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.

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An F-22 has crashed near Tyndall Air Force Base, and Hazmat teams have been called to Highway 98, which pedestrians on the ground report is covered in flames.

Authorities have closed the highway down to traffic. 

Tyndall AFB is located 12 miles east of Panama City, Florida, and is home to about three thousand people.

A spokesman at the air base confirmed to WJHD Channel 7 that it was in fact an F-22, and the pilot ejected safely from the crash.

The F-22 has had a troubled development and fielding history, plagued by problems with pilot ventilation systems.

Some pilots even came forward and spoke publicly about their hesitation to fly the plane.

NOW SEE: These were the last moments F-22 pilot Jeff Haney's life >

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Problems have plagued the F-22 Raptor since its inception.

Flaking, toxic stealth coating with equally toxic glue. International dateline software glitches. Pilots nearly passing out from lack of oxygen and the feared "Raptor Cough."

So the jet went through a battery of extensive tests, over many years, only for one general to suggest something completely unrelated to the configuration of the plane's innards: Maybe human beings just weren't physiologically equipped to max out the attributes of this total sky carnivore.

The F-22 was America's first success in developing a 5th Generation fighter jet.

The jet was the first of its kind referred to as 'supermaneuverable.'

Like a spaceship in the sky; toasting competition with two Pratt and Whitney 119 Turbofan engines, allowing for an unprecedented turning radius to speed ratio.

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Back in 1997, the US Air Force had to choose between the F-22 Raptor and the YF-23 for its fifth-generation fighter.

The YF-23 had a greater flight range, giving the fighter the potential to strike much further targets.

The F-22 Raptor had a more conventional design and more effective program management, and was seen as less costly and less risky.

The Air Force chose the Raptor, but after 16 years of technical problems, leaving the plane grounded as recently as last year, they may well regret it. Nevertheless, the F-22 remains a "critical component" of U.S. air dominance, and the only place to see the losing model is at a couple out-of-the-way museums.

The YF-23 was the runner-up in the Air Force's "Advanced Tactical Fighter" competition that resulted in the trouble-ridden F-22 Raptor — only two were ever made.

The YF-23 was a radical design with diamond-shaped wings, a radar-evading profile, and an all-moving V-tail.

It was powered by two turbofan engines that pushed exhaust through 'troughs' that helped dissipate heat to lower the chance of infrared missile detection.

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A couple of weeks ago, an experienced Eurofighter Typhoon industry test pilot wrote to The Aviationist to reply to a Lockheed F-35 test pilot who, talking to Flight’s Dave Majumdar, had claimed that all three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter will have better kinematic performance than any fourth-generation fighter plane with combat payload, including the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Now the same Typhoon pilot has once again chosen this blog (and I’m honored for this) to explain why thrust vectoring, considered one of the most important F-22 features, is not essential when you are involved in an air-to-air engagement WVR (Within Visual Range).

RAF Typhoons and U.S. Air Force F-22s are currently operating together in the U.S.: the joint mission started with a training exercise called Western Zephyr and will continue next week at the Red Flag 13-3 at Nellis Air Force Base.

As reported in an interesting Defensenews article, the agility of the American 5th generation fighter plane is among the things that impressed British pilots the most.

According to the piece, the commander of the RAF XI Sqn Wing Commander Rich Wells, said:

“Raptor has vector thrust: Typhoon doesn’t,” he said. “What the aircraft can do, it’s incredible. The Typhoon just doesn’t do that.”

Even if it is a matter of fact that the European top class fighter jet lacks thrust vectoring (TV) our source believes that this is not a big deal.

To be honest, the points he raises were already discussed in the article about the outcome of the dogfights between the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors and the German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons during last year’s Red Flag – Alaska, when Americans said the F-22 performance was “overwhelming” while Germans said the costly stealth fighter was “salad” for the Eurofighter’s pilots lunch.

At that time, we said that the F-22 tends to lose too much energy when using TV and unless the Raptor can manage to immediately get in the proper position to score a kill, the energy it loses makes it quite vulnerable.

Anyway, here’s what he wrote to us:

We have all been around long enough to recognize there is not a single sensor able to turn the night into day, nor a unique aerodynamic design feature capable of ensuring by itself air dominance if implemented.

The effectiveness of an air superiority fighter relies on the successful combination of a range of design elements including thrust-to-weight ratio, wing loading, avionics and weapons integration. Furthermore, appropriate tactics and valuable aircrew training must be developed to exploit the full potential of the weapon system.

Typically, when time comes to decide how to achieve the required “nose pointing capability” for high thrust-to-weight ratio airplanes three solutions are on the table:

- extremely high short term sustained Angle of Attack values (characteristic of twin tailed airplanes);
- High Off-Bore-Sight Weapons, preferably supported by Helmet Cueing;
- Thrust Vectoring.

Thrust Vectoring is one of the design elements that can contribute to create a certain advantage during close air combat by generating impressive pitch and yaw rates, but only in a limited portion of the flight envelope at velocities well below “corner speed”.

However, Thrust Vectoring can also transform in a few seconds an energy fighter in a piece of metal literally falling off the sky, making it an easy prey for those who have been able to conserve their energy.

Moreover, Thrust Vector operation requires the pilot to “create the opportunity” for its usage, spending valuable time in manoeuvring the aircraft to achieve a suitable condition and managing the activation of the Thrust Vector Control.

If you are “defensive” and your aircraft has Thrust Vectoring, you can possibly outturn your enemy, but that most likely won’t prove to be a great idea: an energy fighter like the Typhoon will conveniently “use the vertical” to retain energy and aggressively reposition for a missile or gun shot. Also the subsequent acceleration will be extremely time (and fuel) consuming, giving your opponent the opportunity to tail chase you for ever, exploiting all its short range weapon array.

If you are “neutral," when typically vertical, rolling and flat scissors would accompany the progressive energy decay, similarly performing machines would remain closely entangled, negating the opportunity for Thrust Vector activation.

If you are “offensive," probably stuck in a never ending “rate fight," Thrust Vector could provide the opportunity for a couple of shots in close sequence. Make sure nobody is coming to you from the “support structure”, otherwise that could be also your last move.

Talking of twin tailed aircraft, Angles of Attack in excess of 30-35 degrees are capable of creating drag conditions unsustainable no matter the engine/airframe matching, and developing energy decays intrusive of the tactical flying but also of the flight control system protections. Roll rates would also deteriorate at the higher values of AoA and target tracking ability would quickly decay.

Eurofighter has decided to develop for the Typhoon High Off-Bore-Sight Weapons, supported by Helmet Cueing, to retain energy and target tracking ability while manoeuvring WVR (Within Visual Range) at relatively high but sustainable Angles of Attack. For those who may require some additional AoA, the “Strakes” package is progressing well and soon it will be offered to Typhoon’s Customers. Nevertheless, Strakes is not purely about extreme AoA, but also suitable Roll Rates and manageable energy characteristics. Because in the European way of doing things, an all around balanced solution counts more than a single eye opening performance.

It is a fact that against Eastern produced fighters provided with Thrust Vectoring, throughout the years the Typhoon has showed an embarrassing (for them) kill-to-loss ratio.

It is a fact that after some initial encounters between the Raptor and the Typhoon, the situation appears of absolute equity. Too early to say if it is the Helmet Cueing or the Thrust Vector, or how much tactics and training are a player in all this. For sure, we are facing two impressively capable machines.

The typical answer to any critics to the F-22 air dominance is: “since it is stealthy, you should not even consider the possibility of a close encounter with another jet.”

Even if this can be true, the risk of coming to close range is still high. At a distance of about 50 km the Typhoon IRST (Infra-Red Search and Track) system could be capable to find even a stealthy plane “especially if it is large and hot, like the F-22″ as a Eurofighter pilot once said.

Furthermore, Raptors are not always stealthy as one might believe: for instance, when they carry external store, rejoin with tankers or talk on the radio (secure or unsecure ones) they become more vulnerable to detection.

But this is another story, that we will discuss in the near future…

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The US Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $6.9 billion to upgrade the service’s fleet of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters.

Lockheed said that ”The Air Force uses this to authorize the Incremental Modernization capability efforts such as Increment 3.1, Increment 3.2A and Increment 3.2B”

“F-22 modernization provides upgrades that ensures the Raptor maintains air dominance against an ever advancing threat – with capabilities such as advanced weapons, multi-spectral sensors, advanced networking technology and advanced anti-jamming technology.”

Under increment 3.1 upgrade the fleet of radar evading 5th generation planes will get synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with ground mapping capability as well as the ability to carry eight 113kg (250lb) Small diameter bombs, in 2014; the increment 3.2A will see additional electronic protection measures and upgrades to the Link-16 data link system and its ability to work with the jets sensor suite.

In 2017, increment 3.2B will see the software and hardware upgrade to allow the Raptor to use the AIM-120D and AIM-9X missile systems, although a limited ability will be added before this date.

The use of the AIM-9X with an Helmet Mounted Display (initially not implemented on the plane) would give the F-22 an HOBS (High-Off Bore Sight) capability currently lacking.

Further upgrades as part of 3.2B will see further improvements to the electronic protection system and an upgrade to the aircraft geo-location system.

Increment 3.3 is in the pipelines but will be funded from another proposal at a later date and no further details as to what this will actually be is available.

The upgrades will give the costly and troubled stealth fighter, whose dominance of the skies has been debated since the Eurofighter Typhoons involved in the Red Flag Alaska exercise last year achieved some (simulated) Raptor kills, the capability to perform effectively in both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.

Something the F-35 should sometime do as well.

David Cenciotti has contributed to this post

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Although it is integrated in U.S. F-15C/D, F-16 Block 40 and 50 and F-18C/D/E/F, on the Eurofighter Typhoon and on several other modern planes (including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter – with some difficulties), a modern Helmet-mounted cueing system is a feature that the F-22 Raptor lacks.

There are various reasons why the pilots of the most advanced (and much troubled) air superiority fighter were not given a helmet that, by projecting aircraft’s airspeed, altitude, weapons status, aiming and symbology, provides the essential flight and weapon aiming information through line of sight imagery, enabling the aircrew to look out in any direction with all the required data always in their field of vision:

(Too much) confidence that capability was not needed since no opponents would get close enough to be engaged with an AIM-9X in a cone more than 80 degrees to either side of the nose of the aircraft; limited head space below the canopy; the use of missiles carried inside ventral bays whose sensor can’t provide aiming to the system until they are ejected.

And also various integration problems that brought the Air Force to cancel funding.

However, even the (almost) invincible F-22 eventually needed an advanced helmet that could make the HOBS (High Off Bore Sight) possible.

The U.S. Air Force is preparing to evaluate the Visionix Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system (HMCS) on the F-22 Raptor.

“We absolutely hope to have the Scorpion helmet [on the Raptor], we think we’ll get into that business this summer,” said Flight Global Col. Robert Novotny, commander of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group (TEG), who looks into new technologies for the Air Force from Nellis Air Force Base.

The Scorpion HMCS is a paddle shaped full colour display and will give the Raptor a high off-boresight (HOBS) capability ahead of the initial installation of the AIM-9X planned for 2015 with a full upgrade to the missile in the 2017 time frame, when the fighters increment 3.2B upgrade program comes into play.

Novotny went on to add, “If we can get that [HMCS] in the jet, then we can get them an off-boresight heat-seeking missile like the AIM-9X.We want to get this done because we’ll bring some great capability to the pilot, as all helmets do, and give them the off-boresight later.”

The addition of the HMCS and the AIM-9X on the F-22 shows that, in the foreseeable future, the Within Visual Range scenario can be more likely and worriesome for the best American fighter plane than some Raptor fans are willing to admit.

SEE ALSO: The F-22 May Simply Be Too Much For Pilots To Handle >

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An unspecified number of F-22 stealth fighter jets arrived in South Korea on Sunday, Mar. 31, 2013.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the aircraft flew from Kadena air base, in Okinawa, Japan, to Osan, South Korea to take part in Exercise Eagle Foal.

The arrival of the United States' most-advanced fighter planes follows the “show of force” by B-52 bombers and B-2 stealth batwing bombers that conducted training missions in South Korea’s gunnery ranges in the past weeks.

Even if it is only symbolic, the presence of Raptors in the Korean peninsula is just the latest U.S. deterrent to Pyongyang’s alleged attack plan (threatening some U.S. towns) and the Pentagon's demonstration of U.S. capabilities should the need arise for intervention.

What’s the role the F-22 could play in case of attack on North Korean targets?

Although the Raptors would probably escort the big bombers during the opening stages of an eventual campaign (after the rain of cruise missiles that would wipe out most of North Korea’s air defenses), their role would not be limited to providing air superiority (to be easily and quickly achieved considered the status of the geriatric North Korean Air Force and its obsolete Migs).

As demonstrated in last year’s Exercise Chimichanga, the F-22 has the ability to play a dual role in the same mission: HVAAE (High Value Air Asset Escort) and air-to-surface.

Indeed, the F-22 can be tasked to escort bombers into an anti-access target area (a superfluous task when air superiority has been already achieved) and then perform an immediate restrike on the same target attacked by the B-2, B-52 or B-1 bombers being accompanied, or attack another nearby ground target, if needed.

With the latest release of software and hardware upgrades being fielded within a $6.9 billion program, the fleet of radar evading 5th generation planes is being turned into multirole: Raptors are getting synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with ground mapping capability as well as the ability to carry eight 113kg (250lb) Small diameter bombs (SDBs), multipurpose, insensitive, penetrating blast-fragmentation warhead for stationary targets that can be equipped with deployable wings for extended standoff range.

SEE ALSO: F-22 Raptor Pilots Are Getting High-Tech Helmets >

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Even if we have often reported the presence of the F-22 Raptors at Al Dhafra, satellite imagery showing five radar evading planes parked at the main airbase in the UAE has been made publicly available for the first time recently.

The aircraft, parked next to an F-15E Strike Eagle, are five of the six F-22 that had (more or less secretely) deployed in South East Asia from Holloman New Mexico, via Moron, Spain, on Apr. 20, 2012.

The image is not only interesting because it shows the main U.S. Air Force plane about 100 miles from Iran, but also because it is the first one to show fast jets on one of most important U.S. airbases in the region.

Using the time option on Google Earth, you may even observe how the airbase has grown since 2004: the large apron in front of the light hangars where the F-22 were parked in April 2012, did not exist in the satellite image taken 9 years ago.

Moreover, if you watch the imagery of the subsequent years you will notice that only support planes (E-3s, KC-135s etc) could be seen stationed at Al Dhafra: the presence of the F-22s beginning in 2012, is a clear sign of how the situation in the region has gradually changed with an increasing tension with Iran.

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The Su-35 (NATO designation Flanker E), Russia’s latest version of the famous super-maneuverable multirole fighter jet has demonstrated its stunning capabilities during the first day of the 50th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.

During its display, the 4++ generation aircraft has showcased some almost impossible manoeuvres, demonstrating unbelievable low-speed handling authority.

Ok, it’s not stealth (even if some sources say it can detect stealth planes like the F-35 at a distance of over 90 kilometers), but once engaged in a WVR (Within Visual Range) air-to-air engagement, it can freely maneuver to point the nose and weapons in any direction, to achieve the proper position for a kill.

Some weeks ago, someone was impressed by a (quite normal) F-35′s High AOA test flight video.

Bill Flynn, Lockheed test pilot responsible for flight envelope expansion activities for the JSF recently said that all three variants of the Joint Strike Fighter will have better kinematic performance than any fourth-generation fighter plane with combat payload, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and theBoeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

The F-35 maneuverability shown in the video seems far to be special. Unlike the Su-35′s impressive one.

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You don’t see photos like this too often.

Most of the images you can find online showing an F-22 stealth fighter firing a missile either depict a Raptor prototype or the air-to-air missile being launched is an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile).

That’s why the image on top is interesting: shot in 2009, it shows a F-22 Raptor 4007 launching an AIM-9L Sidewinder missile during a test at Edwards AFB, California.

The photo shows the open side bay door that the F-22 Raptors use to launch the AIM-9 Sidewinder into the air.

Although the missile in the picture is an AIM-9L, in the future, U.S. Air Force Raptors should be able to carry the AIM-9X Block II which features the Lock On After Launch capability. This would allow the bay doors to remain open just long enough to fire a missile.

The image below shows an F-22 launching an AIM-9M missile.

Interestingly, the second prototype of China’s J-20 Stealth Jet was spotted testing a missile deployment device on its side weapons bay. This extracts the selected air-to-air missile and then closes the door, helping the plane to avoid detection on enemy radar.

SEE ALSO: This Is What It Looks Like When An F-35A AF-1 Does A 360-Degree Roll [PHOTO]

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This image was taken from a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle from the 131st Fighter Squadron, 104th Fighter Wing, based at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts. It was captured during a close-range aerial combat exercise against a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor from the 154th Wing based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.

You can clearly see the two planes maneuvering at very close range, pulling heavy Gs, with the F-22 releasing counter measure flares against simulated heat-seeking air-to-air missiles.

The dogfight took place off the coast of Penang, Malaysia on June 16, 2014, during “Cope Taufan 2014,″ a biennial large force employment exercise. Cope Taufan lasts from June 9 to 20 and is designed to improve U.S. and Malaysian military readiness.

Both aircraft are currently deployed to Royal Malaysian Air Force P.U. Butterworth, outside Penang.

The exercise marks the F-22′s first deployment to Southeast Asia, and featured mixed formations between U.S. planes and Royal Malaysian Air Force MIG-29N Fulcrums, Su-30s, and F-18 Hornet jets.

It’s not clear whether the F-22 has flown Dissimilar Air Combat Training against Malaysian Migs or Sukhois during the exercise. If the F-22 had, it would be interesting to know which ROE (Rules Of Engagement) were applied, as well as the ultimate outcome of the confrontations between the Russian-made multirole Su-30 and the U.S.-made F-22.

Below is a video of the exercise. 

SEE ALSO: Navy fighter pilots made this awesome GoPro video of their supersonic maneuvers

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A Chinese entrepreneur was arrested in Canada at the request of the FBI for allegedly hacking into the networks of various defense contractors and stealing gigabytes of military intelligence, Darren Pauli reports for The Register. 

Su Bin and two Chinese-based co-conspirators allegedly hacked into Boeing's internal network and networks of other defense contractors in the U.S. and Europe between 2009 and 2013.

In an email to his alleged co-conspirators, Bin said he wanted to help China "stand easily on the giant's shoulder's," The Register reported.

Bin allegedly stole data for 32 different U.S. projects, including data related to fifth-generation fighters the F-22 and the F-35, as well as Boeing's C-17 cargo plane. U.S. authorities believe Bin and his colleagues tried to sell the stolen intelligence to state-owned companies within China. 

According to a criminal complaint filed by FBI special agent Noel A. Neeman, Bin stole 220 megabytes of data related to the F-22 and an additional 65 gigabytes of data on the C-17. 

This is not the first time that hackers associated with China have been accused of stealing sensitive military documents. China is currently developing a new fifth-generation fighter that is believed to have been modeled after stolen F-35 plans. 

Chinese hacking often serves to boost the country's economy, as hackers steal trade secrets related to nuclear power, metal and solar product industries, and defense technology.  

SEE ALSO: This site shows who is hacking whom right now — and the U.S. is getting hammered

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The US Air Force's F-22 fifth-generation stealth fighter jets were used in their first-ever combat mission during airstrikes against Syria, Julian E. Barnes and Dion Nissenbaum report for The Wall Street Journal. 

The F-22, America's most advanced aircraft, was likely used because of the aircraft's high maneuverability and the sophistication of Syria's air defense system (which is being bolstered by the Iranians).

"Because of its speed and ability to fly at high altitudes, the F-22 can drop guided bombs from much further away than F/A-18s or F-16 fighter planes," WSJ reports. "According to the Air Force, the F-22 can drop a 1,000-pound guided bomb from 15 miles away from the target."

The F-22 was a natural choice of aircraft for carrying out the bombing run in Syria. The plane is technically a fifth-generation fighter, meaning that it is a stealth jet that can take part in a range of multi-role activities.

The F-22 can be equipped with pairs of GPS-guided bombs, as well as AIM-120s Amraam and AIM-9s Sidewinder missiles. Until this airstrike, the F-22 has been kept out of direct military engagements due to the absence of foes requiring the use of a fifth-generation fighter and the toll it can take on pilots. 

The F-22's "supermaneuverability" and turning radius of the plane has led to pilots having breathing problems while operating the plane. At least one Air Force general has said that the plane may simply be too much for human physiology to handle. 

The US and a coalition of regional allies carried out the airstrikes in Syria against the ISIS stronghold and de facto capital of Raqqa. US forces also carried out unilateral strikes against an al Qaeda enclave in northwestern Syria that was carrying out "imminent attack plotting" against American interests, according to the White House.

David Cenciotti at The Aviationist has everything you need to know about the F-22.

SEE ALSO: Obama Enters Uncharted Territory With New Bombing Campaign In Syria

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The photo in this post shows an F-22 Raptor of the 1st Fighter Wing, refueling after a mission over Syria. The mission was the stealth fighter jet's baptism by fire as it operated alongside other US assets including the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft.

The image, taken from a KC-135 tanker (based at Al Udeid, Qatar), shows an interesting detail inside the cockpit of the F-22 — a U.S. flag.

It’s not infrequent for U.S. pilots to carry the American flag inside the cockpit during real operations and wars.

SEE ALSO: The US used F-22 stealth fighter jets in combat for the first time ever last night

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The photograph of an F-22 is interesting for several reasons.

First of all, it shows a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth jet taking off to take part in the U.S. and allied offensive against ISIS in Syria on the night of September 23, when the US Air Force's 5th generation fighter plane had its baptism by fire.

Despite the low quality, the shot is worth a mention as it is one of the very few images you will find on the Internet showing an F-22 at night partly lit up by its green formation lights. In fact, although it may sound weird, there are not many shots depicting the Raptor at night. You can find more F-35 night photographs than F-22 ones.

So, enjoy a barely visible Raptor (and notice the stealth plane’s formation lights switched on) as it departs from Al Dhafra for a strike mission in Syria.

SEE ALSO: The US used F-22 stealth fighter jets in combat for the first time ever last night

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The following images were taken Friday from the boomer position aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender tanker during air-to-air refueling operations of an F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft en route to Syria.

The Raptors, launched from Al Dhafra in the UAE, where they are deployed along the F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath, were part of a strike package that was engaging ISIL targets in Syria.

The F-22 Raptors of the 1st FW that have been stationed in the Persian Gulf for six months, will soon be replaced by 12 Raptors belonging to the 95th FS from Tyndall Air Force Base.

F-15E aircraft from RAF Lakenheath will be relieved by Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

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Considered almost unbeatable in the air-to-air role, the F-22 successfully debuted in combat, taking part in airstrikes against ISIS targets. But what if the F-22 found a fourth-generation opponent?

Even though we don’t know many details about them, missions flown by the F-22 Raptor over Syria marked the combat debut of the stealth jet.

As already explained, the radar-evading planes conducted airstrikes against ISIS ground targets in what (considering the fifth-generation plane’s capabilities) were probably so-called "swing-role" missions: the stealth jets flew ahead of the rest of the strike package to cover the other attack planes, dropped their Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) on designated targets, and escorted the package on the way back.

Considering it could not carry external fuel tanks (to keep a low radar signature), the F-22s were refueled at least two or three times to make it to North Syria and back to the UAE, flying a mission most probably exceeding the six-to-seven-hour flying time.

Raptor’s stealthiness is maintained by storing weapons in internal bays capable of accomodating 2x AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, some AIM-120C AMRAAM air-to-air missiles (the number depending on the configuration), as well as 2x 1,000 pound GBU-32 JDAM or 8x GBU-39 small-diameter bombs: in this way the Raptor can dominate the airspace above the battlefield while performing an OCA (Offensive Counter Air) role attacking air and ground targets. Moreover, its two powerful Pratt & Whitney F-119-PW-100 engines give the fighter the ability to accelerate past the speed of sound without using the afterburners (the so-called supercruise) and TV (Thrust Vectoring), which can be extremely useful, in certain conditions, to put the Raptor in the proper position to score a kill.

All these capabilities have made the F-22 almost invincible (at least on paper). Indeed, a single Raptor during one of its first training sorties was able to kill eight F-15s in a mock air-to-air engagement, well before they could see it.

These results were achieved also thanks to the specific training programs that put F-22 pilots against the best US fighter jocks to improve their abilities to use the jet’s sophisticated systems, make the most out of sensor fusion, and decide when and how to execute the correct tactic.

The Raptor has a huge advantage against its adversaries as demonstrated by the F-22’s incredible kill ratio against USAF Red Air (which play as enemy air forces during exercises) and its F-16s and F-15s, during the exercises undertaken in the past decade. For instance, during exercise Noble Edge in Alaska in June 2006, a few F-22s were able to down 108 adversaries with no losses, while during the 2007 edition of the same exercise, they brought their record to 144 simulated kills.

In its first Red Flag participation, in February 2007, the Raptor was able to establish air dominance rapidly and with no losses.

As reported by Dave Allport and Jon Lake in a story that appeared on Air Force Monthly magazine, during an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) in 2008, the F-22s scored 221 simulated kills without a single loss.

Still, when outnumbered and threatened by F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s, in a simulated WVR (Within Visual Range) dogfight, the F-22 is not invincible.

Apparently, along with the Rafale, one aircraft that proved to be a real threat for the F-22 is the Eurofighter Typhoon: During the 2012 Red Flag-Alaska, the German Eurofighters not only held their own, but reportedly achieved several kills on the Raptors.

Even though we don’t know anything about the ROE (Rules Of Engagement) set for those training sorties and, at the same time, the outcome of those mock air-to-air combat is still much debated (as there are different accounts of those simulated battles), the “F-22 vs. Typhoon at RF-A” story raised some questions about the threat posed to the Raptor by advanced, unstealthy, fourth-generation fighter jets.

In fact, even though these aircraft are not stealth, Typhoons are equipped with Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) systems and IRST (the Infra-Red Search and Track), two missing features on Raptors.

The Typhoon’s HMD is called Helmet Mounted Symbology System (HMSS). Just like the American JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System), which is integrated in the US F-15C/D, F-16 Block 40 and 50, and F-18C/D/E/F, HMSS provides the essential flight and weapon aiming information through line-of-sight imagery. Information imagery (including aircraft’s airspeed, altitude, weapons status, aiming etc.) are projected on the visor (the HEA — Helmet Equipment Assembly — for the Typhoon), enabling the pilot to look out in any direction with all the required data always in his field of vision.

The F-22 Raptor is not equipped with a similar system (the project to implement it was axed following 2013 budget cuts). The main reason for not using it on the stealth jet is that it was believed neither an HMD, nor HOBS (High Off-Boresight) weapons that are fired using these helmets, were needed because no opponents would get close enough to be engaged with an AIM-9X in a cone more than 80 degrees to either side of the nose of the aircraft.

Sure, but the risk of coming to close range with an opponent is still high, and at distances up to 50 kilometers an aircraft equipped with an IRST (Infra-Red Search and Track) system, which can detect the IR signature of an enemy fighter (that’s why Aggressors at Red Flag carry IRST pods), could even be able to find a stealthy plane “especially if it is large and hot, like the F-22,″ as a Eurofighter pilot once said.

Summing up, the F-22 is and remains the most lethal air superiority fighter ever. Still, it lacks some nice features that could be useful to face hordes of enemy aircraft, especially if these include F-15s, Typhoons, Rafales, or, in the future, the Chinese J-20 and Russian PAK-FA.

David Cenciotti has contributed to this post.

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SEE ALSO: The US Used F-22 Stealth Fighter Jets In Combat For The First Time Ever Last Night

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