The Fight Over The New F-22 Raptor

Norfolk Virginian-Pilot

February 9, 2006

The Fight Over The New F-22 Raptor

By Louis Hansen, The Virginian-Pilot

HAMPTON — On a recent clear Sunday afternoon, Capt. John Echols took his fighter jet into the sky for another homeland security mission.

The Air Force’s role in Operation Noble Eagle had grown routine since Sept. 11: Patrol the skies over East Coast cities and watch for planes drifting into restricted airspace. If a private pilot starts heading toward a potential target, the fighter pilots quickly introduce themselves and escort the intruder back on course.

But Echols’ patrol this day was anything but routine.

He and a wing mate flew out of Langley Air Force Base in a pair of F-22 Raptor fighter jets - the Air Forces’ new, top fighter. It was one of the Raptors’ first real-life missions.

The pilots had a revelation in their cockpits. A single video screen captured an electronic vision far beyond what the pilots see in their older F-15 Eagles.

“I can see from a God’s Eye perspective,” Echols said. “It’s a huge advantage.”

As pilots and crews learn more about their advanced aircraft, its future uses are coming into focus. But critics still question whether a plane conceived in the 1980s for Cold War air combat with Soviet jets will prove useful against an enemy of stateless terrorists.

The Bush administration this week called for $2.2 billion to be spent in fiscal year 2007 as a down payment to purchase 60 more F-22s. The Air Force hopes to get at least 183 of the aircraft.

The 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base is the first in the country to receive the jet fighters. The stealthy fighters, which arrived here last year, boast a nearly invisible radar profile and sophisticated electronics to allow a pilot to spot an enemy, shoot and kill another plane without being seen.

The squadron has 20 Raptors, with two more planes added every month. A full squadron will have 24 planes.

Langley pilots - most of whom switched over from F-15 and F-16s - are still learning and testing their new plane’s capabilities, said Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, director of operations at the 27th Fighter Squadron.

The pilots are excited about their jets, which the Air Force deemed ready for combat in December.

“Even with limited capability, it’s a magnificent weapon,” Tolliver said.

Col. Bill MacLure, chief of Checkmate, the Air Forces’ operational planning and strategy division, said the Raptor’s responsibilities will increase. It will contribute to the country’s air dominance, he said, and it will be ready for “any mission, across the board.”

The United States already has established unchallenged flight paths over Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. Future combat deployments for the Raptor could include flying rapidly to a target, engage and destroy with a minimal chance of being caught.

MacLure also said the Air Force is considering adding sensors to the Raptor to enhance its intelligence gathering role over combat zones. Ultimately, the services aim to network data collected by the jets’ advanced sensors to troops on the ground in real time.

The F-15 have effectively performed homeland security operations, MacLure said. However, he added, the Raptors provide “a significantly better picture” of the airspace.

Everest S. Riccioni is an retired Air Force colonel who worked on the Raptor during its earliest concepts. He doubts the plane’s capabilities to evade ground radar and provide enough fire power against enemy ground troops.

The plane was a solution in search of a problem, he said.

“They have about 15 missions for it,” Riccioni said, “and none of them are relevant.”

The United States has proven its air dominance waging two wars against Iraq, and the expensive Raptor adds little to the combat zone, he said.

“We went waltzing into Iraq twice and never lost a plane,” Riccioni said.

The Air Force estimates the Raptor costs $133 million per plane, making it the most expensive jet fighter ever. Independent estimates that include research and development costs are much higher. The Pentagon plans to purchase 42 F-18 Super Hornet jets, used by the Navy and Marines, for roughly $83 million each.

At Langley, Raptor pilots are eager to fly and learn the nuances of their new plane. Besides the sophisticated electronics, nozzles on the jet engines tilt, allowing pilots to maneuver tightly and quickly.

Squadrons have been practicing air combat maneuvers and dog fights with the F-15s, but its not much fun. pilots say. The older jets get shot down quickly during drills.

“We really don’t practice that much because it’s so easy,” said Capt. Jonathan Gration, a Raptor pilot who trained on the F-15.

Echols said the fighter has meant a new mind set - with new tactics, new weapons, and new avionics.

“It’s a complete paradigm shift,” he said.

Langley pilots will be asked to fly more patrol missions in the coming months. This summer, the base will deploy 210 airmen to Alaska for more escort missions and training.

There are no immediate plans to put the plane into combat, but Tolliver said the squadron would be ready for any mission thrown at them.

The pilots, drawn from the top ranks of Air Force flyers, want to be Iraq, he said. “Everybody in this squadron wants to be over there.”