Lockheed Martin is pushing for the U.S. Air Force to extend the scope of the upgrade for the F-22 Raptor fighter so that it will include the earlier Block 20 aircraft that the service currently uses for training. These Block 20 jets, 35 in all, had previously been on the chopping block, but amid questions about the ultimate replacement plan for the F-22, the manufacturer is pushing for the upgrade effort to be expanded to these earlier and currently far less-capable aircraft.

Speaking today at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin’s secretive Skunk Works research and development arm, said that there are “conversations around whether there is an opportunity to take the Block 20 fleet and continue to expand [its capabilities].” Sanchez noted that this is not an entirely new conversation, but he was hopeful that the service would opt for it.

In the meantime, Sanchez referred to the upgrade program for the more modern Block 30/35 jets, part of a Skunk Works effort to ensure that the F-22 can evolve to “see, and shoot, and go farther.”

“The F-22 continues to be central to the U.S. Air Force’s force structure, and the ability to keep it at the forefront of the fight is paramount. The F-22 program work at Skunk Works is doing that,” Sanchez continued. He described the Block 30/35 Raptors as being “in a hefty modernization mode right now,” with a key component of this being software-defined open mission systems architecture. As you can read about here, this ensures that it’s faster and easier to integrate new and improved functionality.

Sanchez also noted that the upgrade for the Block 30/35 aircraft includes work on crewed/uncrewed teaming with the Air Force. “The F-22 is kind of at the forefront of how to do that,” Sanchez added. This is another facet of the Raptor’s modernization push that we have discussed in the past.

Then there is the role that the F-22 has been playing in the development of the Air Force’s next crewed fighter, the Boeing F-47, in the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.

“The F-22 we talked about as being the bridge to NGAD, and we’ve continued to see the evolution, working with the U.S. Air Force, on bringing next-gen technologies to path-find on the F-22, so that’s the philosophy,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez reflected on the fact that, when discussing the F-22’s upgrade path, it starts to get “tricky around the specifics… because it starts to get classified.”

However, as we have detailed in the past, the F-22 is now in the process of receiving a raft of new “viability” upgrades. These will help protect the Air Force’s ‘silver bullet’ force of Raptors from emerging threats and otherwise ensure their continued relevance in future conflicts.

We know that the upgrade package includes the previously announced Infrared Defensive System (IRDS), as well as improvements to the F-22’s low-observable (stealth) features, radar capabilities, electronic warfare suite, and others. This is separate from other upgrades in the works for the F-22, including podded infrared search and track (IRST) sensors and stealthy range-extending drop tanks.

It’s the continued relevance of the F-22 to the U.S. military, especially in a high-end fight, as well as its relatively limited numbers, that makes the argument to roll out similar upgrades across the Block 20 jets all the more compelling.

The Air Force currently has 185 F-22s, but only 143 are combat-coded, with the rest being dedicated to training and test and evaluation activities. The Block 20 jets are all assigned to second-line duties. Meanwhile, a significant portion of the overall fleet is typically down for maintenance at any given time.

As for the 32 Block 20 aircraft, the Air Force was, at one point, looking at ditching these altogether, as it found itself staring down looming budget cuts as well as growing questions about how far back it was trimming its existing fleets, especially fighters, as it pushed ahead with its modernization plans.

Last year, a Congressional watchdog warned that the Air Force would face potentially serious operational, training, and testing challenges, and the risk of having to pay associated costs if it got rid of the Block 20 jets. The service’s assessment that it would be prohibitively expensive to bring these jets up to a newer standard was also called into question.

Even before that, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, which oversee funding and oversight of the Pentagon on behalf of the U.S. Congress, tried to mandate the Air Force to retain — and upgrade — the Block 20 F-22s.

Since the small Raptor force is already highly capable and heavily in demand, the possibility of having a larger pool of combat-coded jets to draw from would be a huge benefit, if it can be financed.

Meanwhile, F-22 proponents in the Air Force have made the case for keeping the Block 20 jets even without upgrades.

“I’m in favor of keeping the Block 20s,” said Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the head of Air Combat Command, last year. “Right now, frankly, there isn’t an F-22 replacement,” he added. “They give us a lot of training value, and even if we had to in an emergency, use the Block 20s in a combat situation. They’re very capable.”

Of course, providing them with even some of the upgrades that are currently being provided for the Block 30/35 jets would make them even more capable.

Already, the Raptor upgrades and the long-term plans for the fleet in general are being influenced by the NGAD program.

At one time, the Air Force had said it ultimately wanted its F-22s to be replaced by a new sixth-generation stealth combat jet being developed as part of the NGAD initiative, an aircraft that is now known as the F-47. The planned first flight for this aircraft is currently slated for 2028.

However, the plan for the NGAD combat jet was put on hold last year, and, for a time, it looked like the NGAD combat jet effort might have been at risk of being cancelled. By the summer of 2024, it was clear that there was no longer a definitive F-22 replacement plan.

Although the NGAD combat jet — now the F-47 — emerged unscathed, there are still questions about the expected size of the F-47 fleet. Meanwhile, it’s not entirely clear when — or even if — these aircraft might start to enter service.

In May, an Air Force graphic, seen below, suggested that the service plans to acquire more than 185 F-47s, which would allow for a one-for-one replacement of the F-22s.

The final number doesn’t appear to be determined so far, with Lockheed Martin meanwhile stating that, with the help of upgrades, the Raptor could stay in service into the 2040s.

It seems that much of the F-22’s ultimate fate will depend on the pace of the F-47’s path to service, and the Air Force’s ultimate procurement plans for that type. In the meantime, it’s clear that Lockheed Martin is confident that the F-22 has many years of service left and that, should the Air Force want to ensure the Raptor fleet is as capable as it can be for years to come, then rolling out upgrades across the earlier jets could help secure its long-term future.

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