The F-22 Raptor shook the aviation world when it first took to the skies in 1997. Widely considered the world’s first fifth-generation fighter, the F-22 became the cornerstone of the USAF’s fighter fleet, seeing action in homeland defense for the first time during Operation Noble Eagle. It went on to perform missions against the Islamic State and Assad’s forces in Syria.
It has become the answer to most questions regarding aerial superiority. However, the US military is already planning its successor through the decade-old Next Generation Air Dominance fighter program, which will materialize a sixth-generation fighter with superior systems to the F-22. With its planned retirement, one feat remains out of reach for the Raptor: landing and taking off from an aircraft carrier.
Why aren’t Raptors carrier capable? We will never see a Raptor land on an aircraft carrier for two reasons. The first is the person behind the stick. USAF aviators are usually not trained in the techniques required to pull off a carrier landing.
Although exchange programs exist between Navy and Air Force pilots, most will not go through one. The second is the simple physics that divides US Navy and USAF aircraft. Navy planes are far lighter, so they can descend at a low airspeed and rapidly without collapsing their landing gear.
Their light weight also means they can take off over a very short distance. Meanwhile, F-22s are a hefty piece of kit. They weigh around 45,000 lbs (20,400 kg) compared wit.
