The X-32 first flew Septemwhere the X-35 first flew October 24 2000.Īfter much testing, re-engineering and further testing, the cohort came to an agreement. Lockheed designated their prototype the X-35, whereas Boeing designated their aircraft the X-32 (which had one of the strangest aircraft designs!). By 1996, the cohort had singled out the designs from Lockheed and Boeing to be developed further. The result was that one of the main criteria of the JSF program was that the aircraft had to have a small radar cross section. The cohort of military branches saw the future of military aviation with stealth as well as STOVL. The RAF also had a similar issue- their Harrier GR7s, Harrier GR9s and Tornado GR4s had recently entered service, but with no replacement in sight.Īs such, the USAF, USN, USMC and RAF combined their fifth generation fighter programs to create the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The USAF, USN and USMC realized they all had an ageing fleet, with the F-16s, F/A-18s, A-10s and the Harrier all needing replacement. In the late 1980’s, the US military had just passed over a replacement for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the F-16 Agile Falcon. F-35 vs F-22: The Basicsīefore we can begin comparing the F-35 and F-22, we need to know a little background first! F-35 This helps to reflect the radar down, to the side or upwards rather than back at the radar. When you look at stealth aircraft, including the F-35 and F-22, but also older ones like the SR-71, A-12 and F-117, they all have very jagged edges. To aid in that, many stealth aircraft are also coated in a dark-colored, radar-absorbent paint that also helps to absorb the majority of the radar waves that hit them. Most stealth aircraft are made of materials that are radar-absorbent materials that absorb the majority of radar waves into them. In reality, stealth is the combination of materials, angles and color. However, this is completely wrong in terms of the stealth technology we have today! Some members of the public actually believe that “stealth” means “invisible” (to the human eye). To many in the general public, stealth means that no radar can hit or find the aircraft, no matter how hard it tries.
The general public gets stealth almost completely wrong. But which one is superior? Today we find out! F-35 vs F-22: What is Stealth? Since the USAF introduced the F-35 in 2016, in order to combat the next generation of Chinese and Russian jets, many members of the public, generals and avgeeks have wondered which is better- F-22 or F-35?īoth the F-22 and F-35 were brought into service because they were stealth aircraft that could shoot the enemy down before the enemy even knew they were there.