Aviation Specials — F-22 Raptor (2017)

The protracted timing of Increment 3.2B

meant that AIM-9X Sidewinder wasn’t

planned to be on the front line until

2017, so the USAF added a rudimentary

capability to carry the AIM-9X and

AIM-120D before Increment 3.2B is

completed. The AIM-120D was added

in Update 4, with the AIM-9X added in

Update 5, which hit the squadrons in 2015.

In fact, according to the 2016 annual

report by the Director of Operational

Test and Evaluation, Increment 3.2B

developmental testing continued

throughout Fiscal Year 2016 but

experienced delays due to software

stability and performance shortfalls. It

said: ‘In-flight cockpit display blanking and

ESMS functionality deficiencies resulted

The 411th Flight Test Squadron brought

together an impressive gathering of

Raptors in August 2016 for a test project

combining development and operational

test, presumably linked to Increment

3.2B. Lt Col Randel Gordon, F-22 CTF

director and 411th FLTS commander, said

operational F-22s from the USAF come to

Edwards for testing occasionally, but that it

was ‘highly unusual’ to have eight total

Raptors at Edwards, including one being

serviced in the 411th FLTS hangar. The

photo is also unusual in that it shows Block

30 F-22A serial 07-4132 painted as 06-

4132, and specially marked for the 411th

FLTS commander. The aircraft is notable

in that it carries a wing-mounted AIM-120

AMRAAM on a twin launcher rail.

GATHERING OF RAPTORS

in flight safety operating restrictions,

and required additional unanticipated

OFP [Operational Flight Program]

software releases and regression testing.

Consequently, the planned Air Force

Milestone C decision slipped from March

to August 2016.’ At Milestone C, the USAF

authorised the procurement of 35 of 71

planned hardware kits through low-rate

initial production (LRIP). The USAF said it

does not plan to procure the remaining

LRIP kits until it confirms progress in

resolving the deficiencies.

Reported flight-testing in September

2016 apparently showed improvement

with cockpit display stability; however,

ESMS deficiencies persisted. According

to the report, as of the end of FY16,

investigative efforts had not fully

ruled out the possible need for system

hardware design changes. It added:

‘Given the limited development progress

in FY16, it is unlikely that Increment 3.2B

developmental testing will complete

as planned at the end of April 2017,

or that IOT&E will begin as planned in

August 2017.’

Once the gremlins are ironed out, every

combat-coded F-22 from aircraft 03-4045

onwards will receive these upgrades,

according to Air Combat Command.

Another major issue still to be overcome

is the Raptor’s lack of helmet-mounted

display (HMD). Lockheed Martin planned

to add the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing

System (JHMCS), but this has never been

realised, for unknown reasons. In early

2014, the 422nd TES is known to have

Left: Seven

Raptors sit

outside the

411th Flight Test

Squadron on

August 10, 2016.

USAF/Christian

Turner

Below: The F-22

production line

in Marietta.

Despite the

production

tooling having

been retained,

any talk of

building more

Raptors has

been quashed.

Lockheed Martin/

Eric Schulzinger

(^96) RAPTOR
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