#F 22 raptor armament upgrade
Furthermore, outdated electronic components and a software and communications architecture designed from the outset to only interface with other F-22s have combined to make the Raptor expensive and complex to upgrade with new weapons and connectivity with other assets such as the F-35.
The airframe, stealth coatings and avionics were all pushing the boundaries of technology when they were designed and have meant that the F-22 is extremely expensive to operate and difficult to maintain compared to other fighters. On the other hand, the F-22 has been a problematic asset for the US Air Force for several reasons. The airframe was designed for a fatigue life of 8000 flight hours and the average fatigue rate of the F-22 fleet is currently around 1800 hours, meaning that the jets themselves should have far more potential service life left in them than the much older F-16 and F-15 fleets. Furthermore, it is the second youngest of the US Air Force’s fighter fleets, with production having been undertaken from 19. The F-22 is without question the most lethal and survivable fighter aircraft in operational service anywhere in the world and remains unlikely to be challenged in raw capability terms by any of the latest generation of combat aircraft under development by Russia and China.
For many this has come as a profound shock. The Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, General CQ Brown recently outlined his vision for the future of the US Air Force tactical fighter fleets, and it does not include the F-22 Raptor 5th generation stealth fighter.