Just a few points and not all inclusive: Good luck in thinking the JSF Buick-of-Stealth can follow the same path as the F-22 in a stiff IADS. F-22 is a better all around stealth. F-22 can go places F-117 or JSF can’t, unless you want a spiral of airframe loss. F-22 can also get out of trouble faster than an F-117 or JSF due to a negative stealth event.
Supersonic release by F-22 means that JDAM and SDB will be dropped at longer distances from the target ( less risk ). Combined with the F-22’s better stealth this is useful.
SDB-II will help.
SDB-penetrates at a similar equal to the 2000lb BLU-109. There are a lot of target sets SEAD/DEAD that will go away just as well if hit by an SDB or MK-83 sized JDAM GBU-32. Not every target is a 2000lb solution.
F-22 is there to kick down the door and kill off big SEAD/DEAD and enemy aircraft. Once that is done, JSF and even legacy jets won’t be touched much. Where JSF will have a better chance of survival against rouge un-fragged mobile big SAMs that pop up compared to a legacy jet.
Anti-ship? I’ll take an advanced block F-22 when ever that happens that has GMTI radar mode well matured some years from now, and data-linked kitted JDAM, SDB, SDBII getting updates from the GMTI. (this technique with datalinked PGM kits and GMTI has been successfully tested with Super Hornet and before that with JSTARS) SDB coming down vertical through the top-deck with a accelerometer-smart fuse and and slicing right through the boat and becoming a keel breaker by exploding underneath. “Hello; mission kill”. SDB and JDAM also have the option of air-burst if that is so desired.
SDB will be a lot cheaper than giga-dollar anti-ship missiles. F-22 with it’s quick battle-space mobility and tanker support could plink ships easy if needed. I am thinking big war stuff here and not something like pirate hunting in the South China Sea.
CAS… while not the ultimate in CAS, for us anyway, there is no reason now that F-22 in small numbers shouldn’t be in Iraq. Why? Because an F-22 with 2 each JDAM-GBU-32 would be the fastest thing going at light speed out of a JSTARS stack in response to a no-notice 911 call for JTAC (GFAC) support where someone is getting shot to pieces. It can get there and drop something and/or show of force. ( look at the daily reports JDAM is used a lot ) and when you need something fast, is better than getting shot to pieces waiting on anything else 15 or 20 minutes out. Once the real CAS aircraft show up F-22 can go back to the JSTARS stack. Given that it takes about $500,000 to process death benefits and everything else for each KIA GI this is cheap money and a potential life saver. On the way home it can do some ISR.
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