(Luft) Lockheed Martin F-22

[Nightwatch]

F-22 Performs First Drop of Small Diameter Bomb

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE: The F-22 Raptor Combined Test Force staff conducted the first airborne separation of a small diameter bomb from the internal weapons bay of an F-22 during a September test mission here.

"This is a major milestone for the F-22 modernization roadmap," said Lt. Col. Daniel Daetz, the 411th Flight Test Squadron commander.

[...]

Once the SDB is cleared for operational missions aboard the F-22, it will enable the aircraft to carry four times the weapons load, Major Fischer said. The F-22 can carry eight SDBs with two advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and two AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

"Instead of taking two Joint Direct Attack Munitions, we can carry eight SDBs," the major said. "It also increases our range considerably. The SDB envelope will be the highest and fastest of currently fielded Air Force weapons."

[...]

"Targets we can't get with most weapons, we can get with the F-22 because we have stealth," he said. "With this weapon and aircraft, there is no place we can't reach and no place for an enemy to hide."

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8 SDBs + 4 AIMs in einer Luft-Boden-Rolle ist dann doch schon ein ganz ordentliches Paket. Erst recht wenn die SDBs tatsächlich so gut sind wie man ließt. Es sollte ausreichen, die das Missionsspektrum der Nighthawks zu übernehmen.
Dann kann man der Raptor ja wieder ihr "F/A-22" verpassen...