F-22 providing situational awareness for ISIS strikes

The F-22 is coming into its own over Iraq and Syria. The aircraft are currently flying escort for ISIS strike packages, including providing crucial situational awareness to strike packages heading to targets. In a mission that it wasn't designed to do, F-22s flying escort are using their radar, and other sensors to identify potential threats to the strike aircraft, passing the information on to strike packages heading in and out of the area, as well as AWACS and command and control installations.

The Raptors have only flown 204, out of over 44,000 missions to date, but have played a vital role, even when they aren't dropping any weapons.

Although they were not conceived to play this kind of role, F-22 Raptors have emerged as some of the U.S.-led Coalition’s most reliable combat assets in supporting coalition planes during air strikes in Syria and Iraq.

At the beginning of July, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor jets had flown only 204 sorties out of 44,000 launched by the U.S.-lead coalition against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Little more than a month ago, the multirole stealth combat planes deployed toAl Dhafra airbase in the UAE had dropped 270 bombs on targets located in 60 of the 7,900 locations hit by the other aircraft supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

www.businessinsider.com...

This is one of those capabilities that the 5th gens. bring to the game that a lot of people don't realize. The F-22 is good at this, the F-35 will be spectacular at this.

a reply to: Sammamishman

This wasn't even something that it was supposed to do to begin with, which says a lot about the abilities of Fifth Gen aircraft.

When the F-35 comes into play will this be much more common? Can they can do this for themselves? If so this would allow the F-22s to do other things.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The F-22 really has some awesome capabilities and while I realize it wasn't designed for escort service, it was designed to communicate with other aircraft regarding threats & targets.

I used to have the same F-22 simulator program used to train pilots and it was awesome as well.

While flying missions, my F-22 could communicate with my wingmen and select different targets for each of us so we wouldn't waste our munitions targeting the same threat.

It's a really efficient targeting system and that's just one of the amazing capabilities of this aircraft.

a reply to: Flatfish

It was designed to do that for each other, but until recently, it couldn't do that with other aircraft because of the datalink system. First they had to have a BACN relay, now they have the TALON HATE pod coming into use on fourth gen aircraft. They've been testing an LPI Link 16 with the F-22s so they can communicate with all other existing USAF platforms.

a reply to: Pyle

The F-35 will be extraordinary for this role. They'll be doing the same thing for both themselves and the strike package. This will extend both AWACS and J-STARS reach almost immeasurably.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Flatfish

It was designed to do that for each other, but until recently, it couldn't do that with other aircraft because of the datalink system. First they had to have a BACN relay, now they have the TALON HATE pod coming into use on fourth gen aircraft. They've been testing an LPI Link 16 with the F-22s so they can communicate with all other existing USAF platforms.

Yeah, in the simulator I only flew with other F-22s on my side.

It's been years since I messed with the simulator, (I don't even know where it is anymore) but if I remember correctly, it seemed like I could even see right through my own plane when looking down or to the rear while watching my advisaries during a dog fight.

All I know is, there's some amazing technology packed in that plane.

a reply to: Flatfish

Eventually you'll be able to do that virtually, but only if they put one of the new helmets into play. They're putting a helmet mounted sight finally, but I don't think they have plans to put the new Gen III helmets on them. Those act as HUD, which the F-22 already has, so it's not necessary for them.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I asked an F-22 pilot from the 525th that very question and that's pretty much what he said too.
He didn't think he needed the fancy F-35 helmet.

a reply to: Zaphod58

If more of this kind of infromation about the F-35 gets out, maybe the people who have been trying to torpedo this program could get drowned out a bit.

a reply to: Pyle

I've been screaming about that for a couple years now. There's some incredible things that the F-35 can do, but most of them are classified, or when being talked about, are barely mentioned or mentioned in passing.

a reply to: Sammamishman

That capability is on top of amazing physical prowess. After watching an unrestricted climb at an air show, no less, perhaps the F-22 AND the F-35 is worth every penny they cost....

a reply to: Zaphod58

If you are privy to what's been said.. ( oporationaly and next Gen ) you can link this to a kid playing a PlayStation.

I was crushed when this bird was canceled by Obama... however. It remained operational. Personally I'm scared what this bad boy/girl can do...
The FACT that it can take over a toaster oven and kill you/ sorry... make you tea then ploy the kill.

This is a gamers wet dream if I'm reading this right.

a reply to: Zaphod58

So we are risking our very few, very expensive new planes because we are fighting that ultra high tech armed and dangerous group of ..... barbarians? With AKs and some of our taxpayer paid for low tech weaponry lost by out taxpayer paid for trained Iraqi troops? And we really really need that extra edge because our air superiority is in question there and they've been shooting down planes left and right? Our pilots aren't even allowed to drop their bombs or fire their missiles half the time. Send in the A-10s and shoot up their Toyota trucks with .50s mounted, the hummers that have been taken, and quit screwing around. Let our pilots do their jobs as they know how to do. We shouldn't need our F22 for this job. Situational awareness....... the Shiites don't want to fight for Sunni countryside. The Kurds want their own area (and country) and don't care about Sunni countryside. The Sunni.... are mad at the US for allowing the Shiites to take control of the corrupt government and ignore the Sunnis and the Army is crap and full of corruption. And numbers of American lives lost and trillions spent later.... here we are! That's the situation I'm aware of. The F22 is great I hope. The F35..... I have plenty of doubts. But this is a ragtag bunch of barbarians with low tech weapons and quite a reputation against a 3 Stooges Iraqi army, brave Kurds, and a populace very tired of war. Do we need the F22 there for practice? What's our cost per kill? An unlimited number of idiots wanting to join ISIS against multimillion dollar missiles and very costly to operate jets and equipment. We are going broke (read:borrowing from the Chinese, our good friends) because we destabilized an entire region. Hooray for the Defense Corporations! They win again!

a reply to: jaxnmarko

The entire point of building it was to use it. It's the best platform for this mission, so it's used.

a reply to: nwtrucker

It just ain't natural what those birds can do. Stopping and vertical accelerating 'n stuff.

a reply to: jaxnmarko

You raise valid points. They do however, belong on the political forum.

Most of the posters here do so out of love and passion for things that defy gravity....

From what I can see, when the political moral/it isn't fair or right crowd get involved with combat issues, more of our guys die...not less. R.O.E. restrict, we end up taking IED deaths all over the ME rather than flattening the whole damn city block that permitted the IEDs to be placed to begin with....

But that's off topic, so I'll shut up.

I'm a fan of the F22 and F35, no worries.
Maybe a silly question but just how many threats do the the strike aircraft actually face?
I mean, I'm asking because I don't know.

a reply to: Moley

They're there with the covert permission of the Syrian government, but it's always possible that a missile battery commander, or pilot would decide they didn't like them flying over their airspace, and take a shot at them.