Once again, the controversy over the withdrawal of F-22 Raptor is at the center of the scene in North America. The United States Air Force (USAF) has once again presented a plan to write off 32 units of the fifth generation fighter, in the Budget request for fiscal year 2025.
It not only puts on the table the possibility of withdrawing the aircraft in question during the next year, but also another 218 belonging to different models such as the F-15 Eagle and the A-10 Warthog. Of course, this is not the first time that the USAF has raised the possibility of getting rid of some of its F-22 Raptors, but the topic is always a source of controversy due to the firm refusal of Congress for this to happen.
The Air Force argues that the withdrawal of these 250 aircraft will save about 2,000 million dollars. If the removal of 32 F-22 Raptors were authorized in 2025, the fleet of this aircraft would be reduced to 153 units. USAF chiefs maintain that the affected fighters belong to Block 20 and that, as they are the oldest they have at their disposal, They are not in combat condition and are used for training.
In addition, they assert that modernizing these F-22 Raptors to the Block 30 and 35 configuration would be too expensive and time-consuming. According to 2023 estimates, the cost of upgrading Block 20 aircraft would exceed 50 million dollars for each one.
The US Air Force argues that the money it would save by retiring older F-22 Raptors would allow it to optimize the instrumentation of newer ones. And also, allocate more resources to the NGAD program aimed at developing a sixth generation fighter.
The discussion about the future of the F-22 Raptor
In addition to wanting to decommission around thirty F-22 Raptors because it would be too expensive to update them to the most modern specifications of the platform, the USAF says that the units in question They no longer even fulfill an optimal role as training aircraft. They maintain that the experience with the Block 20 fighters is so different from that with the Block 30 and 35 fighters that it is detrimental to pilots who are learning to “tame” the jet.
So far, the Air Force's explanations have not been enough to change Congress's mind. US lawmakers oppose a reduction in the fleet of the F-22 Raptor, which is considered the most powerful air superiority fighter in the world, even though it was discontinued in 2011.
In 2023, the USAF had already requested the deregistration of the F-22 Raptor from Block 20 in its budget request for 2024. However, the request was rejected. And there is nothing to suggest that the result will be different for 2025.
Let's keep in mind that much of the technology of the F-22 Raptor it's secret. This has led Congress to pass a law in 1998, when the plane had not yet entered service, prohibiting its export. Likewise, there is legislation that prevents its withdrawal before fiscal year 2028.
The Air Force believes that there are more than concrete reasons to move forward with the retirement of the oldest units before that date. However, the final word remains with the legislators. Frank Kendallsecretary of the USAF, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that, although they will respect the law, they consider it important to debate the issue again in order to focus on higher priority projects.
How the gradual retirement of the stealth fighter will be managed
Another crucial point within this discussion is What will be done with the F-22 Raptor when they are decommissioned. The Air Force already has a plan in place to take care of it. On the day the fifth-generation stealth fighter begins to exit active service, units will be preserved at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group in Tucson, Arizona.
If the guidelines established with other aircraft with classified technology operated in the past are maintained, they will continue to be maintained for the long term. Although it is still not clear how many, or for how long. Let us not forget that the mythical F-117 Nighthawk It continues to fly even though it was retired more than 15 years ago. This aircraft is still used in combat exercises, where it generally acts as an aggressor (enemy).
In any case, the final procedure on how the F-22 Raptor will be maintained when they retire has not yet been made official. Or it has not been made publicly known, at least. What has been confirmed is that, unlike the F-117 Nighthawk itself or the B-2 Spirit bomber, the fifth-generation fighter does not need to be preserved in hangars under controlled temperature to prevent the fuselage's stealth technology from degrading.
We'll see if Congress gives in and allows the retirement of the first F-22 Raptors to begin in 2025. It sounds unlikely, but the formal definition will be known in the not-too-distant future.