yes and no, it is still considered to be a good dogfighter, just not as technologically advanced as some others even with its upgrades
Being able to dogfight is one thing, it’s how well it can pull in high speed BVR
gaijin: Money! Money!! Money!!
fully confirms some previous stuff
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/FM-Resources/Budget/Air-Force-Presidents-Budget-FY26/
all the 2026 USAF budget stuff if anyone is interested
RCS figures for the F-22
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Thanks. I’ve added the RCS figures for the F-22A’s specs and linked to this document in the source list, as it has been approved for public release.
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what’s its best loadout air to air wise, 6x internal amraams, 8x external amraams and 2x 9x internally? can those external pylons also carry 9x?
6 x internal, 8 x external AMRAAMs, and 2 x AIM-9X internally are your best loadout for A2A purposes if you are willing to sacrifice your RCS.
Despite that diagram showing it as a possible configuration, AFAIK, external pylons are neither authorized nor configured to mount AIM-9Xs. They need to develop new external pylons for the Sidewinders similar to the ones on the F-35 aircraft.
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Though I don’t really see why they’d develop such pylons, the F-22 excels at long range combat and sidewinders are here “just in case” so there’s no point adding more than two, especially if that requires sacrificing stealth
Some of the only reasons for developing such a pylon on the F-35 was the failure of LM to find a method to fit them and other IR missiles internally along with the other 4 missiles required. More of a Failure than an Advantage.
Also particularly for the F-22 with dedicated sidewinder bays in an air superiority loadout where the stakes are more in favour of sacrificing stealth for missile capacity, the AMRAAM or AIM-260 is going to be more useful so why would they bother with sidewinders.
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I’ve seen some official leak of the F-22 being modeled. I don’t know if it’s for this update or not, but I’m going to put my bet on the F-22 arriving solo. It would be the first fighter jet in the game. Before everybody calls me crazy, just hear me out.
We will see a very early block of the F-22. It will only have the AIM-9Ms and the AIM-120C-5 (if they don’t give it the Bs limiting it to only 4 BVR missiles but i guess that that’s why they added the C-5 in this state, just for the F-22). That’s about it. No JHMCS. No AIM-9X. No SDBs and no JDAMs
- The F-22 won’t excel in WVR, at least against a Rafale or the Su-30SM, because it would still have the AIM-9M and the poor WVR-performing AIM-120s. Sure, it will have thrust vectoring, but keep in mind that the Su-30SM has thrust vectoring and a very early “cousin” of the AIM-9X, the R-73.
- The F-22 won’t perform in BVR either (might be very wrong on this one but this is the Raptor’s best chance, BVR) because by the time you get to engagement altitude (9000-11000 meters), the distance between you and the enemy team will be around 40 km (with the Raptor’s engines it will match or surpass the F-15’s climb time, so it might be 45 to 50 km) and then you are well inside the detection zone of a modern AESA or PESA radar AND in the WEZ of the MICA and the R-77-1 too. Maps are too small for the raptor to be tactically effective.
This is just my wild take, if you want. What do you think?
Btw
This is the “official” leak
Early block of the F-22A with 4+2 internal does make sense, it probably wouldn’t be that op with the current map sizes
Later blocks with 120D and 9X can come later with others advanced jets
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That’s why I’m saying that it would be the first and only stealth fighter. Maybe it’s coming this update and the next one will bring the F-35, Su-57, J-20, later block of the F-22 and next gen IIR missiles.
A later block can use the C-7 and the 9X
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The F-22 could also be a testbed to develop actual functional stealth since gaijin missed the opportunity with the F-117A
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Could be. Albeit gaijin added the F-117 for ground, but it’s pretty useless
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I don’t think so. What’s the point to play a brick like this? It would be much wiser to add latest version of the F-22 (Inc. 3.2B) with all these features (+ more advanced APG-77(V)1 radar, + Aim-120Ds, ) instead. + We already have Aim-9Xs in-game, so I see no problem with that.
No way F-22 arrives solo. At the very least they will include Su-57 in the same update.
As @This_Is_Kitsya said. It will be a complete brick, just good enough to be playable and a test bed for the stealth fighters. That’s why it will arrive solo. The Su-57 is a definitive platform with R-77M or -1, R-73, a good radar, maws probably and everything needed to stomp everybody in WVR and BVR. If this Su-57 comes it will only be balanced to add the F-22 with the AIM-9X and AIM-120C-7 (unnerfed), but then another problem arises. The Germans and Brits will want their ASRAAM and IRIS-T. The Japanese and pretty much everybody will want their F-35 and AIM-9X together with it, all in the October update.
The F-22 will arrive as a fast brick with 2 AIM-9Ms and 6 AIM-120C-5s and it will be the only stealth fighter in the game. In the Major December update we will see a lot of stealth aircraft for everybody and new IR missiles etc
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Doesnt matter if it’s bad. Imagine the reaction.
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