Kelly noted that, at the time, the F-22 was the only operational fifth-generation fighter in the world and the first to combine “maneuverability, stealth, and supercruise” in a single airframe.Īviation photographer James Reeder captured a photo of an Air Force F-22 Raptor, 411th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., with mysterious pods displayed on underwing mounts. “Max” Moga, now a brigadier general who is Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. The post accompanying the image noted that the 15th anniversary of the first 12-minute airshow demonstration of the F-22, flown by demo pilot Paul D. Kelly did not comment on the new features of the F-22 shown in the artwork. Revelations such as Kelly’s image usually precede new systems operating where they can be seen publicly.
The Air Force has spent more than $12 billion to continually upgrade the F-22 since production of the fighter ended in 2010. The only new missile publicly identified for the F-22 is the JATM. The tanks seem to be the same ones described in new Air Force budget documents, while the pods are likely to be an infrared search and track and/or electronic warfare system. In the picture, one of the F-22s has launched a missile, which is neither an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile nor an AIM-9X Sidewinder, the two air-to-air missiles known to be qualified for the fighter. The image, released April 27, portrays three F-22s flying in formation, each carrying what appear to be stealthy extended-range fuel tanks and slender outer wing pods with a chiseled aperture at their leading edges. Kelly, head of Air Combat Command, offers an official glimpse of new capabilities for the Raptor, including a possible first look at the highly classified AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile. An artist’s concept of the Lockheed Martin F-22, posted on Instagram by Gen.
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