What you need to know: Known for its stealth and speed, the F-22 Raptor was once considered for carrier operations as the “Sea Raptor.”
– Converting this jet for naval use would have required significant changes, including a reinforced fuselage and swept wings for carrier launches and landings.
-This concept had the potential to provide stealth capabilities earlier than the F-35C, but was abandoned due to challenges such as reduced stealth, cost, and time constraints.
-Instead, the Navy invested in the F-35C, which eventually became the first stealth carrier-based fighter.
-The Sea Raptor remains an interesting “what if” in military aviation history, highlighting the challenges of innovation in defense acquisition.
Could the F-22 replace the F-35C on an aircraft carrier?
As you know, the F-22 Raptor became famous for its high stealth characteristics and superior speed and maneuverability. But what if I told you that there was once a concept for a “Sea Raptor” that would allow the F-22 to potentially take off and land from an aircraft carrier?
Although this capability was never realized, it could have given the U.S. Navy a significant advantage, thoroughly defeating the F-35C, and giving the carrier additional power and versatility.
Did this idea work?
This idea wasn’t bad.
The Air Force had a wealth of test and evaluation data for the F-22.
This could have been given to naval engineers to convert the Raptor into a Sea Raptor. The Sea Raptor could have replaced the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet or older F/A-18 Hornets and provided the Navy with a much-needed stealth fighter that would be a great addition to the carrier air wing.
In the early 1990s, the Raptor had all the potential in the world. It is so secret that the Americans will not allow it to be exported.
The F-22 was planned as a powerful fifth-generation jet aircraft. It was just born as a product of fierce competition and limitless possibilities.
Converting the F-22 to a Raptor fighter is not easy.
A carrier-based version of the F-22 sounds good on paper, but it will present considerable challenges for designers and engineers.
Engineers were concerned that the F-22 did not have a strong enough fuselage for catapult launch and recovery. So, the first thing on the to-do list was to strengthen the plane’s body.
It could have been dangerous if it hadn’t been modified.
The F-22 also needs swept wings to land, otherwise it would land on the carrier too quickly and be dangerous to maneuver.
Without this modification, the F-22 could have crashed onto the deck or completely overshot the carrier. The F-14 Tomcat had swept wings, but it was quite time-consuming and expensive to maintain.
Although these modifications to the F-22 were not insurmountable, the U.S. military chose to adopt the F-35C naval version of the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program. The problem was that the plane had significant schedule delays and cost overruns.
Stealth F-35C. Image credit: Creative Commons.
The F-35C had a stronger fuselage needed for catapults and folding wings to facilitate storage on carriers, which were pluses. However, it took more than 20 years for the F-35C to finally be ready for carrier deployment.
F-22 Sea Raptor could have been ready before F-35C
Wouldn’t it have been faster to modify the F-22 and make it into a Sea Raptor? This might have worked, but the F-35C would not have been needed. The F-22 could have been ready before the F-35C, saving the Navy much-needed money and time.
But the F-22 Sea Raptor would have had problems. Changes to the fuselage and wings may have compromised stealth.
Dog fighting was not needed during the Global War on Terror, but this may have affected speed and maneuverability.
However, the increasing air power displayed by China and Russia, and to a lesser extent North Korea and Iran, requires complete stealth and superior combat capabilities.
It would be good if there was creative thinking in the aircraft procurement circle.
The F-35C turned out to be a better option, although it took longer and was very expensive. But it’s interesting to speculate about the F-22 becoming a Sea Raptor.
Creativity can save you time and money during the acquisition process. I would have liked to see if the F-22 could be modified to land and launch from an aircraft carrier. This would have allowed the Navy to conduct stealth flights much sooner.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot from the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, flies over the Baltic Sea on September 4, 2015. The U.S. Air Force has four F-22 Raptors and one C-17. Globemaster III, approximately 60 airmen and associated equipment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. While in Europe, these aircraft and aviators will conduct aviation training with other European-based aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Sgt. Jason Robertson/Released)
The Super Hornet is a great airplane, but it’s a non-stealthy 4th generation ++ jet. The Sea Raptor could replace or augment that in the fleet and provide superior radar evasion capabilities. Now, the Navy finally has a stealth fighter and the maritime sector is working on the next-generation F/A-XX, which is showing early promise. And it is ahead of the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation Air Dominance fighter, which has been suspended pending an acquisition review by the Trump administration.
With the F-35C and the new F/A-XX, the Super Hornet can ride off into the sunset. Therefore, there was no need to carry F-22s on board. All the Navy lost was time. For many years, there were no stealth fighters that could take off or land from aircraft carriers.
It is important to consider whether modifications to the F-22 could have been made in the two decades it took for the F-35C to become operational. We’ll never know if the F-22 will be up to the task, but it was a concept worth the time and effort to pursue, at least for a while.
An F-22 Raptor from the 1st Fighter Wing from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, takes off and flies alongside a KC-135 Stratotanker with the 756th Air Refueling Squadron from Naval Air Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. A wingman is refueling. East Coast, July 10, 2012. The first Raptor assigned to the wing has arrived. January 7, 2005. The aircraft was assigned as a trainer and docked in a hangar so maintenance crews could familiarize themselves with its complex systems. The second Raptor designated for flight operations arrived on January 18, 2005. On December 15, 2005, the Commander, Air Combat Command, along with the 1st Forward Wing Commander, announced that the 27th Fighter Squadron was fully flight, combat, and combat capable. Win with the F-22.
About the author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, as well as two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a technology company that uses artificial intelligence to predict world events. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, advising him on defense and foreign policy issues. He taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army infantry officer. You can follow him at X @BMEastwood.
