/sci/ - Science & Math

>>3887127
At high altitude, even a stealth aircraft is much easier to spot on radar. The F-22's incredible high-altitude performance - including its supercruise capability, which is not possible at low altitudes - is only safe to exploit once its stealth benefits have been rendered largely unnecessary - that is, after low-flying strike aircraft like the F-35 have destroyed radar threats. The only reason the F-35 even exists is because the F-22 was not suitable for the low-altitude strike role, owing to its tiny weapons bays (inadequate for filling with bombs or anti-radiation missiles, or even regular-sized air-to-air missiles), and its compromised low-altitude performance.

Add on to this the fact that 80% of our enemies' Air Forces get destroyed by strike aircraft before they even leave the ground, and its easy to see why the F-22 was cancelled in favor of more F-35s.