A puzzling comparison of the maneuverability of the F-15QA and F-22 fighters

@DefAviation ES 9·01·2024 · 20:21 0

In 2025, it will be 20 years since the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, the most expensive and maneuverable fighter in history, entered service.

The incredible typical maneuvers of an F-22 Raptor that an F-15QA fighter has done in Dubai
Las características de los nuevos cazas F-15IA Eagle II que EEUU ha aprobado vender a Israel

In addition to being a stealth fighter (that is, with a very low radar signature that allows it to enter enemy territory without being detected), the F-22 is capable of maneuvers never before seen in a jet fighter aircraft, or even in any warplane in general, since it can make truly spectacular tight turns, thanks to its vector nozzles, which push the jet emitted by the engine depending on the maneuver to be performed.

The F-22 was intended to replace the older F-15 Eagle, a fighter that made its first flight in 1972 and has so far distinguished itself as an excellent air superiority aircraft. The F-15 holds the record of never having been shot down in aerial combat in the 48 years it has been in service (it entered service with the US Air Force in 1976).

Despite being many years old, the new variants of the F-15 are causing astonishment, specifically the F-15EX Eagle II, an advanced version of the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bomber. In December 2023 I showed you here a video of an F-15QA (the Qatari version of the F-15EX) performing maneuvers typical of an F-22, in a "clean" configuration, that is, without underwing supports.

Regarding the capabilities of the F-22 and the new F-15EX, today the Japanese youtuber Tonk298, who has an excellent channel about airplanes, has published an interesting video comparing the maneuverability of these two fighters. The result is certainly disconcerting, since the F-15QA is capable of performing maneuvers like those of the F-22 without having vector nozzles (the video is in Japanese but has English subtitles, you can activate them in the bottom bar of the player):

At this rate, the same fate could end up happening to the F-15 as it did to the B-52, as the old strategic bomber could end up retiring its successors, the B-1B Lancer and the B-2 Spirit, while it remains in service. Will the F-22 suffer the same fate?