Should the F-22 raptor be sold?

Question

Should the USA allow the sale of the F-22 raptor? or has it been sold already?

Answer 1

Raptor has never been sold, but now I heard Japan and Israel want to buy raptor.
F-4 of Japanese Air Self-Defense Force will retire soon, so they want F-22 as a succeeding plane of F-4.
If USA think the partnership between USA and Japan is very important, USA should sell F22 to Japan.
Some Japanese newspaper said Japanese Defense ministry is planning to buy a combination of F-22A and F-15FX (F-15E).
But if USA will sell raptor to Japan, the secret of military technology may leak out.

By the way, I'm Japanese living in Japan so my sources are written by Japanese.

Answer 2

While there is some risk in putting the F-22 into the hands of foreign owners, that risk is quite small, while the potential rewards are significant: strengthened relations with Japan, forward basing of power near China, and added backlog for our defense industrial base, to name just three. The risk associated with foreign ownership of the F-22 can be mitigated somewhat by delivering a lower standard software suite in the export variant. The Pratt F119 that powers the F-22, while an excellent engine, is of conventional layout; the advanced technologies required for production of said engine remain in East Hartford and West Palm Beach, regardless of export recipients. It IS possible to keep our cutting edge technologies (materials processing and radar) secret while selling an export version of the F-22. No, the F-15, F-16, and F-18 are NOT the only aircraft the approach the F-22 in capability. The MiG-29 and Su-27 derivatives are highly capable aircraft; all the more reason to promote greater production volume for the F-22. The stakes are too high for us to allow America-centric bias to cloud our judgement. No, the JSF is not a replacement for the F-15. JSF replaces F-16 and F-18; F-22 replaces F-15. It's called the Hi-Lo mix.

Answer 3

Export sales of the F-22 Raptor are banned by federal law.

Most countries are waiting on the F-35 which uses some of the technology of the F-22, but is a whole lot cheaper per aircraft.

Answer 4

Nobody else can afford the F-22. Four fighters would cost anybody $1.2 billion just for the basic plane. Eight planes with a service contract would probably cost a foreign government $3 billion which is bigger than most military budgets. That's why England, Canada and Australia didn't buy the F-117 even though those countries surely could have gotten permission to buy them.

Answer 5

No. This is the most advanced fighter in the world. The technology employed in the Raptor should remain in US hands only.

Answer 6

I think that the USA should allow sale to its allies. We have other aircraft coming online and if we have excess F22s, then why not? Of course, I think we should only sell to close allies and not 1 time allies.

Answer 7

yes but only to their closest allies, like most of NATO. i mean, we are selling the F-35 to all countries that have donated money to the research and development of that fighter

Answer 8

No - why would we want to sell our most advanced fighter and risk it being sold to someone else?

Answer 9

Why would we sell the F-22, we JUST GOT IT!!

Answer 10

YES. You add more to your arsenal for less money by selling weapons like these to you Alli's, there not cheap you know.