German Eurofighter Typhoon fighters simulated the destruction of United States Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth aircraft during close aerial combat drills in Alaska, defense publication 19FortyFive reported.
The mock engagement occurred during the Red Flag 12-2 joint military exercise in 2012, demonstrating that the advanced fifth-generation American aircraft lost its technological edge when forced into close-range dogfighting against cheaper fourth-generation jets.
American observers present during the training noted at the time that while the F-22 is built to dominate engagements over long distances, it proved equal to older fourth-generation aircraft when maneuvering at close quarters. The F-22 Raptor, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, entered service with the United States Air Force as a specialized air-superiority fighter featuring radar-evading stealth design, internal weapons bays, and thrust-vectoring engines.
By contrast, the Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multirole fighter developed by a joint European defense consortium involving Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. The aircraft entered operational service in the early 2000s and features delta wings and canard foreplanes optimized for high maneuverability during visual-range aerial engagements.
German pilot assessment and radar capabilities
German aviators stated in an official post-exercise report that the Typhoon was not inferior to the F-22 during close aerial combat, adding that their jet even surpassed the American stealth fighter in specific maneuvering aspects.
The German pilots emphasized, however, that under standard operational conditions, the powerful long-range radar systems aboard the Raptor would typically detect an opposing fighter at a great distance long before close combat begins. Beyond-visual-range missile engagements allow fifth-generation stealth fighters to destroy targets before enemy pilots can visually spot them or respond.
The Red Flag exercise series is an advanced aerial combat training program conducted by the United States Air Force. The Alaska exercises, originally known as Cope Thunder before being renamed Red Flag-Alaska, bring together military aviators from NATO members and allied nations to practice complex simulated air battles across vast military airspace.
Comparisons with the F-35 combat aircraft
The review of the 2012 drill comes after 19FortyFive columnist Christian Orr reported in April that another American stealth aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II, is inferior to the F-22 in overall air combat effectiveness.
The F-35 Lightning II, also built by Lockheed Martin, is a single-engine stealth jet produced in three main variants for the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, as well as allied armed forces. While the F-35 incorporates advanced electronics and sensor fusion for multirole strike missions, the twin-engine F-22 was engineered specifically as an uncompromised air-dominance platform.
