The F-22’s holistic design—born of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program—prioritizes air dominance over ground attack.
In the high-stakes arena of modern aerial warfare, where split-second decisions determine victory or defeat, the Lockheed Martin F-22 is the king of the skies. Representing the peak of fifth-generation fighter technology, the F-22’s maneuverability and supercruise capabilities are gamechangers that redefine air superiority.
Designed in the 1990s and entering service in 2005, this stealth marvel continues to dominate exercises and operations in 2025, outclassing rivals like China’s J-20 and Russia’s Su-57.
But what truly elevates the F-22 above its peers is a seamless fusion of blistering agility, efficient supersonic dash, and cutting-edge avionics—making the F-22 Raptor the greatest air superiority fighter to ever fly.
Why Speed Is So Important for Modern Fighter Jets
At the heart of the F-22’s prowess lies its incredible maneuverability, a testament to engineering ingenuity that allows pilots to defy physics in dogfights. Traditional fighters rely on control surfaces like ailerons and rudders for turns, but the Raptor takes it further with two-dimensional thrust-vectoring nozzles on its powerful Pratt & Whitney F119 engines. These nozzles pivot up to 20 degrees, redirecting exhaust thrust to enhance pitch and yaw control, enabling post-stall maneuvers that would stall lesser jets.
Imagine executing a nine-G turn (pulling nine times the force of gravity) while maintaining breakneck supersonic speeds. That’s the kind of high-flying that the F-22 is capable of—and that bird makes it look easy.
The F-22’s high thrust-to-weight ratio, exceeding one-to-one even when fully loaded, powers this feat, allowing instantaneous acceleration and razor-sharp turns. During its prototype YF-22 phase, the plane demonstrated high angle-of-attack maneuvers, where the nose points skyward beyond 60 degrees without losing control. In real-world tests, like Red Flag exercises, F-22 pilots routinely achieve kill ratios of over 100:1, crediting this agility for turning defensive scraps into offensive routs.
What sets F-22 maneuverability apart is its integration with fly-by-wire systems, which use advanced algorithms to prevent departures from controlled flight. Pilots report a “beast-like” feel in air-to-air battles, where the jet’s responsiveness translates massive raw power into what amounts to be superhuman precision.
Unlike the multirole F-35 Lightning II, Lockheed’s other fifth-generation plane, the Raptor’s air dominance hones every aspect for close-quarters combat overmatch.
Thus, the F-22 is a nightmare for adversaries in visual-range engagements. Oh, and the F-22’s beyond-visual-range (BVR) attack features are the stuff of legend. They, too, are the makings of nightmares for an era in which most of America’s primary rivals on the world stage are developing capabilities specifically meant to stymie American power projection into regions those rivals deign to be their own.
The F-22 Raptor’s Impressive Maneuvering and Detection Capabilities
The F-22’s remarkable speed and maneuverability are only two parts of its greatness. This feature enables rapid intercepts over vast theaters, like the Pacific, where distance is the enemy.
High-altitude supercruise further amplifies this, allowing the jet to loiter at 50,000 feet while scanning horizons with AESA radar. In 2025 simulations against peer threats, this edge lets the F-22s dictate the terms of engagement.
More importantly, the F-22’s unique synergy between its impressive stealth, its staggering speed, and the plane’s advanced sensors makes it a dominant player in the air. Thanks to these elements, the F-22 can ensure speedy ghost-like penetrations, while maneuverability ensures survival if the stealth falters.
The F-22’s holistic design—born of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program—prioritizes air dominance over ground attack, unlike the F-35’s jack-of-all-trades (and master-of-none) ethos. The Raptor’s relaxed stability and quadruplex fly-by-wire grant pilots intuitive control, blending man and machine.
Upgrades in 2025, including artificial intelligence-enhanced targeting, keep this bird relevant against evolving hypersonic weapons threats.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
