That Next-Gen Capability Really IS Useful

OK, so it was a simulated war game. But F-22 fighters from Langley AFB's 27th Fighter Squadron, participating in Exercise Northern Edge, 2006, have tackled the simulated Sukhois thrown at them with record- breaking aplomb -- final result, 108 "Sukhois" killed. Zero Raptors.

This included situations wherein the Raptors were outnumbered up to eight to one by the simulated Russian front-line Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft.

In similar situations, F-15 and F-18E fighters also beat the Sukhois, statistically -- but by a 2:1 ratio. The score looks more like a pro soccer game than the Raptors' basketball score -- racked up between an NCAA powerhouse and a high school in pygmy country.

At Oshkosh, the entire aeronautical community was poleaxed by the otherworldly maneuverability of the F-22s... we've never before seen a whole line of professional photographers too busy staring to shoot.

For the exercise the Red Forces were made up of a variety of aircraft from the Ohio National Guard, including F-16s from the 180the Fighter Wing, but USAF F-15 and USMC F-18 aircraft "switch sides" to keep the scenarios varied and realistic. The exercise involves a full pallette of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and special missions for all kinds of aviation. In the final "graduation exercise," even the Navy's ship drivers got involved, with destroyers USS Chaffee and USS O'Kane participating.

One of the special missions tasked and tested was personnel recovery both on land and at sea (downed pilots in the water were simulated by pararescue jumpers). Many non-fighter aircraft participated as well, including KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, Navy EA-6 Prowler EW aircraft, and B-2 Spirit strategic stealth bombers.

While this was the new jets' first visit to Seward's Folly, within a year they will start to become a familiar sight in Alaskan skies. Thirty-six Raptors will be assigned to Elmendorf AFB permanently. The first of these aircraft, while still under construction, had its tail's "AK" codes unveiled in a ceremony on August 3rd.

Before the exercise began, Colonel John Marselus, USAF, chief of the Joint Exercise Division, or JED, for U.S. Alaskan Command, noted his high expectations for the Raptor. "The F-22 is able to engage the enemy in threat environments where other planes can’t go because of its avionics, super cruise and stealth capabilities," Marselus said. "We are literally writing the book in many areas at both the operational and tactical level of warfare," he said.

The strength of the F-22A is not just in the novel maneuverability provided by its F119-PW-100 thrust-vectoring jet engines, but in its many other innovations, two of which have enormous operational significance: supercruise, which makes this the fastest fighter jet in the world, in practical terms; and stealth, which makes it difficult for the enemy to gain and hold situational awareness vis-a- vis Raptors. AWACS aircraft and ground stations among other sources can link data to inflight Raptors without the Raptors needing to make any telltale emissions.

Of course, the F-22A does not operate alone in the sky, and its capabilities fitted into the air team in some transformational ways. "They were able to fly threat rings using their stealth technology, opening up doors for us," said Capt. George Mullani, 3rd Wing Air-to- Ground Tactics chief and F-15E pilot.

"Their ability to ensure air dominance gave us the opportunity to operate freely."

The Raptors are back home now. While the 27th was away in Alaska, the other F-22 units at Langley also deployed. The 71st was flying from Savannah, GA, and the 94th was in Utah and Florida, participating in numerous weapons tests. Meanwhile, Langley AFB was building a new runway in their roost. During the deployments, the F-22As racked up thousands of sorties and had a very high availability rate; the pilots return with even greater confidence in their jets.

Writing for F-16.net, Harold C. Hutchinson noted that the Raptors' high combat performance, if the exercise results are accurate, actually makes the very expensive plane a good deal -- you can save a lot of money by buying F-35s or Eurofighters, and even more money by buying Su-27s or -30s, but it's false economy if all your bargain planes are subject to ritual slaughter by F-22.

That seems to be the results of Exercise Northern Edge 2006. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate and test American joint forces' ability to take control of an area.

"Our end result is to establish complete dominance in the air and at sea," Marselus explained.

It looks like the Raptors make that possible.

FMI: www.f22-raptor.com