Lockheed proposes life‑extension upgrades for older Block 20 F‑22 Raptors now sidelined to training, saying retrofits could sustain the small combat‑capable Raptor force into the 2040s. The plan would restore capability to jets held back from frontline service, increasing operational availability.
Discovered |
Briefing
Extending Block‑20 upgrades could preserve the F‑22’s frontline relevance into the 2040s and increase available combat‑capable airframes; this complements ongoing capability investments such as the F‑22’s recent longest known AIM‑120 AMRAAM launch.
The proposal follows a wider pattern of service life extension and sustainment programs that keep legacy platforms operational, as seen in the USAF’s U‑2 and B‑52 modernization efforts and the Navy’s induction of T‑45s into a Service Life Extension production line.
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Lockheed Seeks to Upgrade Block‑20 F‑22 Trainers, Adding 32 Combat‑Ready Raptors • nationalsecurityjournal.org
The War Zone
• Thomas Newdick