The United States could start selling the world's first fifth-generation fighter F-22 Raptor to allies like Japan, Israel and Australia, provided that the production of this aircraft is completed for itself, reports The Drive, referring to declassified documents.
The American publication reveals that there was another option for selling the fighter, providing for a two-year pause in its production. In the first case, the production of 40 aircraft would cost $ 8.3 billion, in the second - $ 11.6 billion. The publication notes that the F-22 Raptor received three groups of systems, the technology transfer of which was not allowed to the US allies. One of these groups included, in particular, improved control of the two-dimensional thrust vector and the ability of the fighter to move at supersonic speed in cruising mode.
The Drive notes that some of the technologies that the export F-22 Raptor could have received were subsequently implemented in the F-35 Lightning II. It is noted that the United States would not allow local localization of the production of the export F-22 Raptor, and its software would be completely closed to buyers.
In September, the American corporation Lockheed Martin at the 27th international exhibition MSPO 2021 showed a map with the air bases of 450 F-35 Lightning II fighters, which are planned to be deployed in Europe this decade.
Ivan Potapov