The American Air Force is scheduled to fly one of the costliest aircraft in the history of airpower. The F/A-22 (or F-22) fighter, priced at $258 million, and codenamed 'Raptor', is being inducted into the US Air Force (USAF). Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, and Boeing Defense & Space Group's Military Airplanes Division have developed the F-22 as a replacement for the F-15 fighter currently in use by the USAF.

The 'Raptor' has taken more than 20 years to move from the drawing board to the assembly line. However, the actual work only started after the award of the contract on 2 August 1991, after it was selected by the Air Force as the winner of its Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition. Today, the 'Raptor' incorporates extraordinary technological and engineering advancements in maneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion.

The work on this aircraft began two decades ago to address the threat posed by Soviet fighter technology. Currently, this threat no longer exists. However, new threats have emerged in the 21st century which requires such 'air dominance platforms'. Also, it would be interesting to see how the Americans will use this aircraft to fight the 'global war against terrorism'.

Essentially, the F-22 was developed to counter the threat of modern air forces and integrated air defense systems in the world. This fighter will provide air dominance and a precision ground attack capability for the US Air Force. Its predecessor, the F-15, entered the Air Force inventory in 1975. More than $15 billion have been invested as development costs in this project to produce the F-22 which refines the concept of pure performance. Everything, from the fighter's vectored thrust exhaust, to its multitasking attack radar, to its 'supercruesing' air performance makes the F-22 the most capable fighter to ever take to the skies.

Post the Gulf war in 1991, Americans felt the need for a more advanced fighter, which was necessitated because of the universally accepted norm of achieving minimum collateral damage. The recent American campaigns have demonstrated that many air and ground threats could no longer be countered by the F-15s. The F-22, with its increased speed and range, enhanced offensive and defensive avionics, stealth, high reliability and maintainability of systems is expected to enhance the lethality, accuracy and survivability of the USAF.

The F-22 is capable of flying and fighting against the most advanced integrated radar networks and dense surface-to-air missile environments. With the deployment of state-of-the-art missile technology, radar and communication technology and air superiority fighters of Russian origin like MIG 29 and SU 30s, the air defence networks of many states are much stronger now than in the past. Hence, the induction of the F-22 combat aircraft has come at the right time. This aircraft is expected to provide the US with the ability to gain and maintain 'air superiority'.

The current global politics indicates that the possibility of any Air Force engaging the USAF in air combat is remote. The USAF would be mainly tasked with attacking high-value ground targets with precision weapons. The F-22 has a discrete ground attack capability, and can carry two 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM). Such munitions are guided by satellites. They could be used over regions where collateral damage is unacceptable. The F-22 is also capable of carrying air-to-air weapons, which includes six radar-guided AIM-120C Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), and two heat-seeking, short-range AIM-9M Sidewinders. The F-22 will also have an internal M61A2 20-mm cannon. The aircraft is also designed to carry future weapons.

In February 2004, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and USAF conducted a series of combat air exercises. Codenamed 'Cope India-04', the exercises involved fighter aircraft from both sides engaging each other in 'mock' defensive and offensive missions. The performance of the IAF in this exercise was found to be much superior to the USAF. This was a 'wake-up call' for the USAF, and emphasised the immediate need for replacing the F-15s with next generation fighters. The design goal behind this aircraft was to achieve 100 percent improvement over the F-15 weapon systems, with significantly reduced takeoff and landing distances, as compared to existing frontline fighters, but with a greatly increased combat radius.

However, US air superiority has not been challenged since the Korean War. The relevant question is will this aircraft serve any useful purpose in the 'real' battlefields of today, like Kosovo, Afghanistan or Iraq? Will this aircraft, which is designed based on the 'conceived' battlefields of the Cold War era, serve the purposes of the post 9/11 era?