The biggest advantage of the fifth-generation fighter is stealth, but in order to achieve stealth, the fifth-generation fighter sacrifices a certain amount of ammunition capacity. Take the F-22 fighter of the US Air Force as an example. The aircraft adopts a built-in ammunition cabin design and can carry 8 air-to-air missiles . In comparison, the latest F-15EX fighter of the US Air Force can carry up to 22 missiles. Without considering stealth, the more missiles are mounted, the stronger the combat capability of the fighter will naturally be.
Recently, the US Air Force gave up the stealth of the F-22 fighter during a test and tested the aircraft's ultimate bomb load. According to US media reports, during this test, the F-22 fighter successfully completed the feat of carrying and launching 28 air-to-air missiles at one time. However, the US Air Force simply disclosed the test results and did not announce the specific operations of how to carry 28 air-to-air missiles. Military experts speculate that the 28 air-to-air missiles include 8 on the belly and 10 on both sides of the wings.
It is worth noting that this test is not the first time that the US Air Force has made the F-22 fighter jet become a "bomb truck". In 2014, the US Air Force also conducted a similar test, when the F-22 fighter jet carried 22 air-to-air missiles at one time. It successfully completed the launch, setting a record for the F-22 fighter since its in service. Analysts said that the main purpose of the US Air Force to allow F-22 fighter jets to conduct similar tests is to deal with the Russian Aerospace Force.
In recent years, US-Russia relations have continued to be tense, and the number of air forces between the two countries has increased significantly. The Russian Aerospace Forces have repeatedly dispatched the Mau-95 strategic bomber to strategically deter Alaska, USA. Analysts said that the F-22 fighter jet stationed at the Joint Air Force Base of Alaska, shoulders the important task of protecting the security of Alaska's airspace. During the interception of the Russian Aerospace Forces strategic bomber, it does not matter whether the F-22 fighter is stealthy. Under close contact, the practical significance of a higher bomb load is far greater than stealthy.
In addition to dealing with the Russian Aerospace Force, the US Air Force conducted this test, which is very likely to be looking for a new way out for the F-22 fighter jets. Previously, American media reported that the Pentagon plans to retire the F-22 fighter jet early, because as the world's first fifth-generation stealth fighter, the F-22 fighter jet does not have much leading advantages compared to some "ups". Second, in the context of the US Air Force launching the development of sixth-generation aircraft, the early retirement of the F-22 fighter jet can save a lot of money for the US Air Force.
Of course, the US Air Force does not want the F-22 fighter to retire early, and testing the aircraft's ultimate bomb load is not ruled out that the US Air Force is preparing for the transformation of the F-22 fighter. This test proves that after abandoning stealth, the F-22 fighter's bomb load will be better than the F-15EX fighter, and the F-22 fighter can fully play the role of a "bomb truck" in the future.
