dailynewsnblog
The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II are the USAF’s two fifth-generation fighter jets that are designed to perform complementary but different roles. Whereas the F-22 is a dedicated air dominance fighter, the F-35 is optimized for penetrating enemy air defenses and dismantling them, clearing the way for other aircraft, including F-35s and fourth-generation fighter jets, to exploit.
Among other things, the F-22 is limited by expense, low production numbers, niche specialization, and export control, while the F-35 is designed to be mass-produced and is designed to carry out a wide range of missions, while being more affordable to operate. Furthermore, the F-35’s architecture is designed to be upgradable, allowing it to adapt to evolving threats, and it is designed to work with other fighter jets at a level the F-22 can not.
Production Numbers
187 F-22s vs 1,310+ F-35s
While production numbers are not strictly speaking a ‘system difference,’ they are critical to the aircraft and their legacies. In a few years, ten times more F-35s will have been produced than F-22s. A total of 187 serial production F-22 Raptors were built, while Lockheed has now delivered around 1,300 F-35s, with around 150 being delivered annually. All F-22s that will ever exist have been produced, which means the USAF has to retrofit and upgrade these existing airframes.
By contrast, each new Lot of F-35s can be built as upgraded and updated aircraft. The massive backlog means the F-35 has massive financing, with Lockheed able to continuously upgrade and update the aircraft as production rolls on. It means Lockheed has the time and money to constantly improve and mature the aircraft. Lockheed Martin has finally completed its TR-3 update, and this paves the way for a planned Block 4 upgrade that will significantly improve the capabilities of the F-35.
The manufacturer is investing to keep the F-22 relevant into the 2040s, but it is investing to keep the F-35 relevant into the 2080s. With so many F-35s now in service with US forces and allied forces around the world, Lockheed is accumulating thousands of real-life combat hours of data every year and uses that to upgrade the aircraft. Israel’s missions to take out Iran’s air defense network in 2024 and 2025 would have provided Lockheed with invaluable data, as will the current 2026 campaign over Iran.
Systems & Technology
The F-35 has unrivaled sensor fusion & networking
The F-22 Raptor is believed to be the world’s most advanced air superiority fighter, but that doesn’t mean it’s the most advanced fighter jet. After all, it is a multirole fighter, but only just. While it can carry out ground-attack missions and more, it is optimized as an air dominance fighter. This means that it is designed to see other fighter jets first, get the first shot off, and win before the other jet knows there is a fight on.
The F-35 is generally considered to have the more advanced sensor fusion and networking architecture. Its key systems include the powerful AN/APG-81 AESA radar ( to be replaced by the more advanced AN/APG-85 radar), the Electro-Optical Targeting System, the Distributed Aperture System, its AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suite, and its Multi-function Advanced Data Link.
|
F-22 vs F-35 Specifications (per USAF, F-35.com) |
F-22 Raptor |
F-35 Lightning II |
|---|---|---|
|
Max speed |
Mach 2.25+ |
Mach 1.6 |
|
Number built |
187 |
Approximately 1,310+ |
|
Forecast retirement |
2040s |
2080s |
|
Replacement |
F-47 |
TBA |
|
Primary role |
Air dominance |
Multirole strike fighter |
The F-35’s advanced sensor fusion allows it to automate threat correlation, which also allows it to reduce pilot workload dramatically compared with the Raptor’s very capable but less integrated suite. It is the workhorse that forms the backbone of air forces and is central to their ability to project air power.
The F-22 Is Built For Dogfights
Mach 2.25 + supercruise vs Mach 1.6
The F-22 Raptor is the more awe-inspiring aircraft at airshows, being built more as some enthusiasts think a fighter jet should be built, and it is capable of impressive twists and turns, including the famous Cobra Maneuver. It is able to reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.25, including Mach 1.5+ at supercruise without afterburners. By contrast, the F-35 maxes out at Mach 1.6 and has no true supercruise capability.
The F-22 has a climb rate of around 62,000 feet per minute, while the F-35 achieves around 45,000 feet per minute. The Raptor reaches its service ceiling at over 60,000 feet, compared with the F-35’s roughly 50,000-foot service ceiling. It is also a more maneuverable platform, designed for air-to-air engagements, including dogfighting. With that being said, the F-35 is reported to be exceptional in air-to-air combat in its own right.
This doesn’t make the F-22 superior to the F-35, any more than a Formula One race car is superior to a Ford F-150: rather, it depends on the mission set, much like how the race car may be better on the racetrack, but off-road is another story. The F-35 has a superior combat range, although stealth drop tanks are being developed for the F-22. It is not designed for speed, but for all-aspect, multi-spectral survivability in strike missions.
Going God On The Battlefield
Force multiplying fourth-generation fighter jets
A major difference between the Raptor and Lightning II is in how they integrate on the battlefield. While the F-22 Raptor is integrated with other fighter jets and support platforms (such as AWACS), earlier F-22s had more limited networking compared with the F-35, although upgrades are expanding its connectivity. Networking was not the primary design driver for the older F-22, and, comparatively, it is more of an independent fighter jet.
By contrast, the F-35 was explicitly designed from the ground up around networking and data dissemination as a core mission enabler. The F-35 is better thought of as a ‘quarterback’ in the battlespace, as it does not fight alone, but is deeply integrated into a much greater kill chain. As such, it boasts what is often termed a ‘god’s eye view’ of the battlespace.
This means the F-35 can rely on its own passive sensors and off-board targeting data from its other platforms, like AWACS, space-based cueing, other fighter jets, and ground-based radars to identify, target, and achieve firing solutions without turning its own radars on. Turning the radars on and emitting it makes aircraft easier to detect. The F-35 is a huge enabler for fourth-generation aircraft like Eurofighters, F-15s, and F-16s, providing them with that god’s-eye-view of the battlespace and allowing them to keep their radars off.
The F-35 Series Has Three Distinct Models
F-22A vs F-35A, F-35B & F-35C
Another factor is that the F-35 was built to serve the requirements of the US Air Force, US Marine Corps, and US Navy, as well as export markets, while the F-22 was built solely for US Air Force requirements. Commentators have questioned whether this was a prudent decision for the F-35 and ask if it would have been better to have built three separate aircraft. Regardless, this is what was done, and the F-35 has three variants for the three services.
The F-35A is a conventional take-off and landing aircraft built for the US Air Force and most of the export market. The F-35B is the short take-off/vertical landing variant built for the US Marine Corps and export navies with smaller aircraft carriers. The F-35C is the carrier-based variant, built for the US Navy’s aircraft carriers and larger export carriers. The Royal Navy had considered purchasing the F-35C, but decided to go with the F-35B.
In some ways, these variants are almost better thought of as different aircraft. The plan had been for the variants to have around 70% of their parts in common, but they ended up with only around 20–40% of their parts in common. With that being said, their mission systems, radars, and pilot interfaces are largely identical across all models. Indeed, the F-35A and F-35C share the F135-PW-100/400 engine variant, while the F-35B requires the F135-PW-600 variant.
Why The F-35 Is The US Air Force’s Most Important Fighter Jet
Discover why the F-35 is the US Air Force’s most critical fighter — from stealth and sensors to strategy, readiness, and future upgrades
The F-47 & F-35 Are The Future
The F-22 will serve until the 2040s, while the F-35 is set to last until the 2080s
The F-22 was built as a specialized air dominance fighter designed to offer a generational leap over the USAF’s F-15s and dominate Su-27s and MiG-29s in any dogfight, as the United States Air Force wanted an unfair and lopsided contest. Meanwhile, the F-35 was designed to carry out SEAD/DEAD missions and destroy enemy systems like S-300/S-400s, while also carrying out a broader range of missions.
In 2026, the F-22 is starting to age, while the F-35 has not yet matured. The Raptor is still widely considered the most advanced air dominance fighter, but its overwhelming edge is considered to be eroding by new radars and new fighter jets. Its design also makes it more difficult to upgrade, compared with the F-35, which is explicitly designed to be easily upgraded.
This has led the US to rush the development of the next-generation F-47 air dominance fighter to replace the F-22 in the 2040s. It is planned for the F-47 to restore the ‘unfair’ advantages that the F-22 boasted when it entered service in the 2000s. The F-22 has also received a suite of new upgrades to keep it relevant into the 2040s, until the F-47 is available in enough numbers and has matured enough to take over. By contrast, the F-35 will remain in production for years to come and is expected to remain in service until the 2080s.
