The F-22 Raptor is considered by many to be the most advanced fighter jet in the world. Developed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, it entered service with the US Air Force in 2005. With its stealth capabilities, supercruise, and advanced avionics, the F-22 provides the US with air dominance unmatched by any other country. But one question that often comes up is whether the F-22 can carry nuclear weapons.
Background on the F-22
The F-22 was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, using stealth and speed to take control of the skies. Development began in the 1980s, with the aircraft first flying in 1997. Full scale production began in 2001, with 187 aircraft ultimately produced before being terminated in 2011. The US Air Force remains the only operator of the F-22.
Some key capabilities of the F-22 include:
– Stealth – The aircraft has a low radar cross section and radar absorbing materials to avoid detection. This gives it a major advantage in air combat.
– Supercruise – The F-22 can sustain supersonic flight without using afterburners, allowing it to supercruise at speeds over Mach 1.5. This improves range and maneuverability.
– Avionics – Advanced avionics and sensor fusion improve situational awareness and information sharing between planes. The radar can track multiple targets simultaneously.
– Agility – Thrust vectoring nozzles and fly-by-wire systems give the Raptor exceptional maneuverability, able to out-turn most other fighter jets.
The F-22 was designed to carry air-to-air missiles internally in order to maintain its stealth profile. Its primary air-to-air weapons are the AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. It can carry up to 6 AMRAAMs and 2 Sidewinders.
For air-to-ground attack, the F-22 can carry JDAM GPS-guided bombs and the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). These munitions can be carried on external hardpoints, at the expense of stealth.
Nuclear Capability?
The F-22 does not currently have any integrated capability to carry nuclear weapons. When it was in development, there were no plans for the F-22 to be nuclear-capable. The US Air Force has traditionally assigned the nuclear strike mission to dedicated bombers like the B-2 Spirit or B-52 Stratofortress. Even the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-16 fighters that can carry nuclear bombs only do so in a secondary strike role.
During the Cold War, some fighter jets like the F-100, F-105, and F-4 Phantom II were modified to carry nuclear gravity bombs and missiles like the AGM-69 SRAM. But since the 1990s, the role of fighters carrying nuclear weapons has been phased out by the US Air Force.
The F-22 in particular was optimized for the air superiority role, with an internal weapons bay tailored to air-to-air missiles. Carrying large nuclear bombs externally would compromise its stealth and performance. There are no nuclear bombs or missiles currently in the US inventory that are small enough to fit inside the F-22’s weapon bays.
Could the F-22 be Modified?
While the F-22 currently cannot carry nuclear weapons, it may hypothetically be possible to modify it to take on this role.
One option could be to integrate the B61 nuclear gravity bomb. The B61 comes in tactical and strategic variants, with yields from 0.3 to 340 kilotons. Modifying the F-22’s software and connections in the weapon bay may allow the B61 bomb to be carried internally. However, even the smallest B61 mod 12 bomb has dimensions of about 30 inches in length and 18 inches in diameter – larger than the F-22’s normal payloads. Significant modifications would be needed to carry it internally.
Externally carrying the B61 would negatively impact the F-22’s stealth, speed and maneuverability – degrading its intended air superiority role. The B61 bomb has only been integrated on a few US fighter jets like the F-15E, F-16C/D and legacy F-111.
Another hypothetical option is the AGM-86 ALCM cruise missile with a W80 200 kiloton nuclear warhead. A stealthy version of the ALCM may be small enough to carry internally in the F-22, but extensive modifications would be needed. This would also require changes to radar, fire control, and wiring systems that currently are not set up to handle nuclear weapons.
Finally, a purpose-built new nuclear bomb or missile could hypothetically be developed to fit the F-22’s weapon bays. This would be costly and require extensive testing and integration work. It is highly unlikely such a specialized weapon would be designed just for the F-22.
Operational Challenges
Beyond technical integration, there would be several operational hurdles to an F-22 nuclear role:
– Pilot training and certification – F-22 pilots are not currently trained or certified to conduct nuclear operations. New training programs would be needed.
– Modified doctrine and tactics – Adding a nuclear role would require revisions to doctrine and tactical manuals for the F-22, accounting for nuclear weapon handling, targeting, and effects.
– Munitions maintenance – Specialized equipment and procedures are needed to handle, store, transport, load, and maintain nuclear bombs and missiles. F-22 units would need to be provided this capability.
– Modified communications – F-22s would need new radios and procedures to communicate with command and control as well as other aircraft involved in nuclear strike packages.
– Nuclear surety – Stringent safety and security measures would be needed to ensure the protection and authorized control of any nuclear weapons.
Overall, the barriers to fielding an F-22 nuclear capability are substantial. The costs and complexity may not be justifiable for a niche role outside of the F-22’s core missions.
Why Nuclear Capability May Not Be Necessary
There are several reasons why providing the F-22 with nuclear capability may not make strategic or tactical sense:
– Deters focus on air superiority – Adding nuclear strike duties could create mission creep away from the F-22’s intended air dominance role. Trying to multi-role the aircraft could dilute its capabilities.
– Bombers sufficient for nuke delivery – Existing platforms like the B-2 and B-52 can penetrate air defenses and deliver nuclear weapons. Committing fighters may not be necessary to uphold nuclear deterrence.
– Alternate nuclear platforms exist – The Navy can deliver sea-launched nuclear missiles via cruise missiles and soon the F-35 will take over tactical nuclear duties from retiring jets. The F-22 niche capability may not be essential.
– Costly modifications required – Integrating nuclear capability would not be cheap and may not justify the expense to field just a small number of dual-capable F-22s.
– Impacts stealth and performance – Carrying bombs externally hurts the advantages of the F-22’s stealth in contested airspace. Performance also degrades with heavy payloads.
– Small inventory – With less than 200 built, dedicating some F-22s to nuclear duties cuts into an already small force focused on traditional air combat roles.
On the balance, the costs of modifying and certifying the F-22 to carry nuclear arms likely outweigh the operational need or benefits. Committing F-22s to a nuclear role could distract from its core mission and design priorities.
Conclusion
In summary, the F-22 Raptor in its current form is not capable of carrying nuclear weapons. While modifications may hypothetically be possible to allow it to carry bombs like the B61 or cruise missiles like the ALCM, this would require substantial changes to hardware, software, procedures, and doctrine. There are also operational downsides to using the stealthy F-22 in a nuclear delivery role.
Given the specialized design of the F-22 for speed, stealth, and air dominance, adding nuclear capability is unlikely to be pursued by the US Air Force. The costs and tradeoffs involved make it impractical. Furthermore, the US has other platforms like bombers and the F-35 in development to handle the nuclear mission. While the F-22 could potentially be modified for a nuclear role, in practice there is little evidence this capability will be integrated given the jet’s intended focus on conventional air superiority.