Controversy over US Air Force's plan to phase out F-22 'Raptor' fighters

In a report to the US Congress released on June 18, the US Air Force argued that reducing the F-22 fleet would help the military have a budget for modernizing stealth fighters. The Air Force proposed to phase out older F-22 fighters, which are mainly used for training and testing, according to The War Zone .

However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that the US Air Force did not provide a detailed plan for the replacement F-22 training program, nor did it assess the risks of having to deploy mission-ready F-22s to return for training.

Why does the US Air Force want to "retire" many F-22 "Birds of Prey"?

"The Air Force believed that eliminating the Block 20 F-22s would reduce costs, but it did not consider additional costs, such as maintenance costs, to compensate for the lack of aircraft," the GAO report said.

Currently, 90% of basic F-22 pilot training uses Block 20 fighters. According to the GAO, if the US Air Force plan is approved, the combat-ready aircraft, which are in Block 30 and 35 projects, will have to take on additional training missions, thereby increasing maintenance costs.

US F-22 fighter squadron

The War Zone website quoted experts as saying that the F-22s that the US Air Force wants to retire are still useful for testing weapons, creating the premise for the project to develop a new generation of stealth fighters that Washington is building.

Launched in 2005, the F-22 fighter jet, nicknamed "Raptor," is considered one of the most modern fighter jets in the world , with the ability to carry air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, and advanced stealth technology. According to the US Air Force website, there are currently 183 F-22s in service. The US Congress has banned the sale of F-22s to foreign countries, due to concerns about revealing secrets about stealth capabilities.

According to The Aviationist on June 18, the F-22A squadron produced by Lockheed Martin has reached a total flight milestone of 500,000 hours.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tranh-cai-ke-hoach-loai-bien-tiem-kich-chim-an-thit-f-22-cua-khong-quan-my-18524061911374032.htm