The United States Air Force and Lockheed Martin have successfully upgraded the F-22 for many years with new software, weapons interfaces, coating, radar, and communications technology. However, the effort is now adding new longer-range targeting and sensing to the famous Raptor.
The concept, long on the radar and heavily emphasized by the Air Force, is to ensure the air dominance platform can remain relevant and cutting-edge well into future decades.
The F-22 Raptor Is Like Fine Stealth Wine
Emerging onto the scene in the late 1990s, the F-22 is widely regarded as the pre-eminent air superiority platform in the world given its Mach 2.25 speeds and advanced thrust-to-weight ratio, yet the changing threat environment has required the Air Force and Lockheed to pursue new upgrades consistently.
The airframes have remained viable, yet advancements in avionics, electronics, and weapons have extended its attack range, hardened guidance systems for its AIM-120D and AIM-9X air-launched weapons, and preserved many stealth properties.
Building on this, new Air Force efforts to further upgrade the F-22 aim to increase the range and fidelity of its targeting and sensing, according to an essay in TWZ.
One such possibility suggested in the essay includes the addition of the well-known Infrared Search and Track technology, a new generation of hardened targeting technology intended to function effectively in an EW environment and improve range, precision, and guidance for the aircraft’s weapons systems.
IRST has already been integrated into the US Navy’s F/A-18 fleet and other aircraft, and it would make sense to add it to the F-22. However, it is likely that new sensing for the F-22 goes beyond IRST and incorporates a new generation of sensing technologies.
F-35-like sensing
The prospect of increasing sensing and targeting for the F-22, which TWZ states has been tested by Lockheed and the Air Force recently, would seem to align with some of the key attributes of the F-35. Perhaps the intent is to catapult F-22 sensing to F-35 levels, further solidifying the F-22 as a superior fighter.
The operational concept is clear, as the F-35 has shown that its long-range sensing and targeting enables the aircraft to track, target, and destroy enemy fighters from stand-off ranges where it cannot be seen, which would add additional advantages for the F-22.
Interestingly, the F-22 is engineered to prevail in closer-in dogfighting scenarios, given its superior speed and agility. Yet, an ability to track and destroy enemy fighters at stand-off ranges would further fortify its air superiority advantages.
F-22 Raptor. Image: Creative Commons.
F-22 Targeting Enhancements
The concept for the F-35 multi-role fighter has for years been grounded in advanced sensing and advanced computing, as its Distributed Aperture System 360-degree cameras and long-range, high-fidelity Electro-Optical Infrared cameras enable pilots to engage in a new generation of target tracking and data processing.
Advanced computing further enhances this capability, wherein incoming sensor data is aggregated, analyzed, and successfully processed to enable rapid decision-making and improved pilot combat awareness. Targeting for the F-35 is also assisted by an advanced, computerized data library called Mission Data Files.This involves compiling specifics, images, and specs related to known enemy fighters and potential threats in specific geographical areas, greatly expediting targeting and rapid attack.
It would make sense if the F-22 were configured with a new generation of advanced sensing and some mission data files equivalent to complement its air supremacy abilities. There is a precedent for software upgrades to the F-22 as the entire fleet has recently been upgraded with a software upgrade known as 3.2b, which improved the range and guidance of its weaponry.
This made the F-22 much more lethal and effective in air combat because of its added range, guidance, and targeting improvements to some of its critical air-launched weapons, such as the AIM-120D and AIM-9X.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University
James Darby
March 7, 2025 at 12:43 pm
This is all great until China steals it like they’ve done with everything and their entire country since 1945 but they can only steal a few items some of the items that won’t be able to do or steal and that means we can still wipe their ass off the face of the Earth