The F-22 Raptor was designed around a clean airframe, carrying all fuel and equipment internally to preserve low-observable stealth. Recent flight trials in the California desert show test aircraft carrying external low-drag tanks and faceted sensor pods. This documentary examines the engineering requirements behind those additions and the operational geography driving the program.
We explore how oceanic distances in the Western Pacific challenge conventional fighter endurance, the vulnerability of aerial refueling assets, and the industrial realities of sustaining an aircraft whose engine production line closed in 2012.
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