Did you know: that the world’s most capable air superiority fighter was almost modified into a stealth bomber variant?  

It’s true. The F-22 Raptor was proposed as the root for a stealth bomber derivative known as the FB-22. The F-22-based bomber would have been used for regional targets, meaning the bomber would have had a shorter range than some of its contemporary strategic bombers like the B-52 or the B-1. But the idea never quite got off the ground.   

Working with a Known Entity  

The idea made good sense on paper. Use an existing airframe to create a new airframe, and in doing so, save costs on design and manufacturing; much of the work would already have been completed and paid for, you wouldn’t need to invest in research and development from the ground up.   

The impetus for creating the FB-22 was a 1999 Congressional white paper suggesting that the Air Force’s strategic bomber capabilities would be sufficient only to about 2037, at which point America’s power projection would be hindered. Why?  

Enhancements to air defense systems would render any non-stealth aircraft (like the B-52 or B-1) incapable of penetrating contested air spaces, and thus obsolete. And, the aging status of the existing bomber fleet; the fleet would simply be old and falling apart and less capable of delivering on its intended mission profile.   

The Air Force proposed an interim bomber idea that could help supplement the existing fleet while a longer-term fix was developed.   

Modifying the F-22  

The F-22 is not something that most people associate with bomber aircraft. And with good reason. The F-22 is the world’s preeminent air superiority fighter. The one-seat, twin-engine, fifth-generation fighter is sleek and nimble and very obviously a fighter. The F-22 even carries its weapons internally, to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS), which limits the payload it can carry.  

Yet the Air Force thought the F-22 might make a suitable platform to derive a fighter from. A study was commissioned to gauge the feasibility of developing an F-22 bomber, known as the FB-22. Several proposals were considered. One featured delta wings and no vertical stabilizers. The increased wing size allowed for more fuel and more weapons storage than the traditional F-22.  

In all, the FB-22 designs would have accommodated a payload of between thirty and thirty-five Small Diameter Bombs. By comparison, the F-22 can only carry eight Small Diameter Bombs. The FB-22 also would have featured weapon bay doors that opened wide enough to allow for the deployment of heavier ordnance, like 2,000 and 5,000-pound bombs.   

Importantly, the FB-22 would have featured a three-times larger combat radius than the F-22 – 1,600 miles to 600 miles, respectively. Still, the range would have allowed for “regional” bombing, a role comparable to that of the retired F-111 Aardvark or the still-serving F-15E Strike Eagle.   

Of course, the program never got off the ground. Instead, the Air Force would recommit its resources to the Long Range Strike Bomber program, which would result in the B-21 Raider, the long-range stealth bomber that is currently undergoing flight testing and is expected to join the fleet in the next few years.   

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.  

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.