You may know that F-22 and F-35 are some of the best military jets ever created. Both aircraft set high standards in military technology as they are equipped with advanced systems and efficient weapons.
F-22 Raptor
Although there are other very powerful aircraft like the French Rafale, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lighting II are considered by many the best in the world right now. But the question we’re going to answer here is which of these two aircraft is the best?
To give a complete answer, we will first have a look at these two aircraft individually.
The Powerful F-22
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is essentially the most advanced air superiority fighter jet in the world right now. The Raptor is designed as a single-seat, all-weather stealth tactical fighter that made its first flight on December 7, 1997. The F-22 may be the most efficient air superiority fighter, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t capable enough in other roles like ground attacks and electronic warfare. Lockheed Martin has equipped the aircraft with the most modern systems and features a military jet could carry.
F-22 Raptor
The fight generation fighter has excellent stealth capabilities that help it fly unnoticed in the skies. That feature of the jet has been achieved after numerous design choices made by both Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
The attempt at this stealth technology was so detailed that even the pilot helmets were given attention regarding how the Raptor’s stealth profile could be best limited. Other stealth features as reduced acoustic signature, and reduced visibility to the naked eye have also been applied to the jet.
F-22 Raptor
The may weapon bay of the F-22 has enough space for six LAU-142/A launchers for beyond-visual-range missiles. The other two side weapons bays have one LAU-141/A launcher each and are meant to shoot short-range missiles.
F-22 Raptor
The main air-to-air missiles that Raptor use are the AIM-12 AMRAAM and the AIM-9 Sidewinder. It is impressive that the weapon bays need less than a second opened for the missile launchers to shoot. This is a very short time that helps Raptor remain its stealth profile. There’s also an M61A2 Vulcan 20 mm cannon mounted inside the jet in the right-wing.
The Versatile F-35
Another Lockheed Martin aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, is a single-seat all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that first flew on December 15, 2006. The jet was designed in such a way that it could be deployed in air superiority and strike missions. Unlike the F-22, the F-35 has three variants: USMC, USAF, and USN.
F-35 Lightning II
The F-35B has short take-off and vertical-landing capabilities (STOVL) and is used by the UMSC as the vertical-landing is very useful during Marine missions. The F-35A features the typical conventional takeoff and landing, and that’s why it is used by the USAF. Last but not least, the F-35C is designed for aircraft carriers and is being operated by the US Navy.
F-35 Lightning II
When it comes to the armament of the F-35 Lighting II, the options are almost unlimited. Consider that the aircraft is a multirole fighter and has three variants, so take in mind that each variant carries different armament that depends on the circumstances of the mission. The design of the aircraft contains two internal weapon bays with four weapon stations. Missiles of these aircraft include the air-to-air AIM-120 AMRAAM, the air-to-surface Paveway series of bombs, and the SPEAR 3 anti-tank missiles.
F-35 Lightning II
Externally, the fighter has six weapons stations that, of course, don’t help paint F-35’s stealth profile. The external stations carry weapons like the AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles that are too large for the internal bays. An interesting addition is the rare-to-see 25 mm GAU-22/A cannon that is mounted internally on the left wing. Unlike the typical 20 mm cannons that the USAF uses (like the one in the F-22), the 25 mm cannon of the F-35 is a better option against surface targets.
The Ultimate Comparison
Let’s start comparing one of their greatest feature, stealth capabilities. In this area, both jets have almost equivalent stealth performance mainly because they are both built by the same company, Lockheed Martin, and were both meant to be air superiority fighters.
Besides the stealth capabilities of the jets, it’s really hard to compare the two aircraft. That’s mainly because the two jets aren’t meant to perform in the same roles. It would have made zero sense for the US built two very expensive fighters to be deployed in the same missions, right? Well, that’s the main difference between the fighters.
The F-22 Raptor is the most powerful air superiority fighter in the world, while the F-35 is probably the most advanced multirole fighter right now.
That mainly means that the Raptor is more effective in air-to-air combats (faster and could operate at higher altitude), and the Lighting II is versatile for various missions. That’s the reason we can’t determine which fighter is the best out of those two.
One is the most capable jet in ‘dogfights’ and air superiority, while the other can perform decently at air-to-air combats, air-to-surface attacks, and basically any possible type of conflict. However, they are certainly both fantastic fighter jets in US military history.
