What would happen if the world’s two top fighter platforms went head to head? The American-made F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightening II are widely considered the most advanced fifth-generation jets on the planet.

While the F-35 is newer, its predecessor has a number of advantages and should not be counted out.

The Air Force is developing its Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter (NGAD) to replace the Raptor by the end of the decade, while the F-35 continues to be exported by popular demand. 

The F-22 Raptor May Be Faster …

Since its introduction to service nearly twenty years ago, the Raptor has remained the premiere stealthy air dominance fighter.

The airframe’s small radar cross-section, weapons control, and electronic warfare systems function as one integrated unit.

Notably, the F-22’s radar cross section is tinier than its successor’s, making the platform extremely difficult for enemy aircraft to detect. Speed-wise, the Raptor also has the F-35 beat.

The older airframe can fly at speeds reaching Mach 2.2 (times the speed of sound) with its Pratt & Whitney F119 engines that provide 70,000 pounds of thrust, while the F-35 can reach a top speed of Mach 1.6 with its single Pratt & Whitney F-125 engine.

The fact that the F-22 has two engines, as opposed to one, is also a significant safety factor. 

But the F-35 is More Modernized

Despite these critical specs, the F-35 does supersede its predecessor in some aspects.

The most basic way in which the F-35 Lightening II is more advanced than the Raptor is that it is a more modern airframe.

Many aviation buffs refer to the F-35 as a “computer in the air,” since it undergoes timely software updates.

Its open architecture code – over 8 million lines’ worth – enables engineers to update the platform with improvements over time.

This notable feature will undoubtedly reduce upgrade costs in the future.

The F-35 also requires less maintenance than the F-22, the newer platform is less pricey.  

Regarding weapons payload, the F-35 also has its predecessor beat.

As detailed by Military Watch Magazine, “As the F-22 is a specialized air superiority platform, it also lacks the ability to carry medium-sized or heavy air-to-ground munitions such as the AGM-154 [Joint Stand-off Weapon] internally. As a result, the F-22 has no nuclear strike, anti-shipping, anti-radiation, or standoff air-to-ground capabilities while the more versatile F-35 is perfectly capable of performing in all of these roles.” 

Despite its smaller payload, the Raptor is better positioned to take out enemy air defenses and radars and win in air-to-air combat.

Since the Raptor can carry six LAU-142/A launchers for beyond-line-of-sight missiles and medium-range Sidewinders and AMRAAMS, the Raptor is probably better positioned to pave the way for the F-35 and other fighters, fighter bombers, and conventional bombers after defeating enemy aircraft in a dog fight or taking out enemy air defenses. 

When it comes to versatility, the F-35 certainly takes the cake. Three F-35 variants exist for the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, all equipped with specialized modifications for each service. 

Maya Carlin is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. 

Image: Creative Commons.