It was the ultimate expression of air superiority, a sleek, silent, supersonic ghost that ruled the skies with unmatched stealth and speed. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, with its bird-of-prey namesake, was the crown jewel of American airpower. So why did the U.S. scrap it?
In 2009, despite being hailed as the most advanced fighter jet ever built, the U.S. Department of Defense halted production of the F-22 after manufacturing just 186 aircraft, a far cry from the original 750 planned. The decision stunned many. But as military priorities shifted and the nature of war changed, the F-22 became less of a necessity and more of a luxury that the Pentagon couldn’t justify.
When the F-22 first took to the skies in 1997, it was revolutionary. It could hit Mach 2.25 (over 1,700 mph), maintain supersonic speeds without afterburners thanks to its supercruise capability, and evade radar with its advanced stealth coating. It was described as “a spaceship in a world full of paper planes.”
But therein lay the irony, it was too advanced for its good. In the early 2000s, neither Russia nor China had aircraft remotely comparable to the Raptor. At $150 million a pop, critics began asking whether such an overengineered machine was truly necessary at a time when America’s biggest threats came not from rival air forces but from insurgents with no airpower at all.
With the U.S. bogged down in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military’s focus turned to counterinsurgency, not air dominance. And even the Department of Defense has limits to its spending. As budgets ballooned for ground operations, the high price tag of the F-22 simply couldn’t be justified.
Adding to the problem was a critical restriction: Congress limited the F-22’s use to the U.S. Air Force only — no foreign sales allowed. That meant potential revenue from allies like Japan or Australia was left on the table. Without international orders to help offset the high development and production costs, the Raptor became even more difficult to sustain financially.
Today, with geopolitical tensions rising, especially with China and Russia, many wonder if canceling the F-22 was a mistake. But the Air Force didn’t stop evolving.
Enter the F-35 Lightning II, also built by Lockheed Martin. It’s slower and less stealthy than the F-22 but is packed with next-gen sensors and battlefield intelligence tools. Its true strength lies in its ability to act as a flying data hub, collecting and sharing information with other aircraft and command centers — a critical feature for modern network-centric warfare.
Then there’s the surprising comeback of a classic: the F-15EX, an upgraded version of a Cold War-era fighter. With a lower price tag (around $94 million per unit), it brings more firepower to the fight, carrying up to 12 air-to-air missiles versus the F-22’s eight. It’s also equipped to handle the newest hypersonic missiles, making it a versatile and cost-effective platform.
Looking back, the F-22’s retirement seems less like a blunder and more like a pivot. While it remains one of the most capable fighters ever built, the Pentagon has chosen broader flexibility and information dominance over raw aerial supremacy. XPeng’s Brian Gu said in a different context, it’s all about adjusting to “the changing nature of threats.”
