F-22 Fighter Jet Getting Even More Firepower

The U.S. military’s F-22 fighter jet is getting even more firepower amid increasing demand for U.S. air power across the globe.

The F-22 and its fifth-generation counterpart the F-35, which flew a training mission over the Korean peninsula carrying live bombs and missiles earlier this week, have been hailed as the world's two premier fighters, CNN noted.

Now the Air Force plan to upgrade the F-22.

Key maintenance will be performed to the fighter jet’s stealth coating while new missiles, sensors and improved software are all introduced to the model.

Lockheed Martin had been contracted by the Air Force earlier this year to oversee key maintenance and repair work to the F-22’s low-observable stealth coating.

"Periodic maintenance is required to maintain the special exterior coatings that contribute to the 5th Generation Raptor’s Very Low Observable radar cross-section," he said, according to Scout Warrior.

The Air Force aims to upgrade and expand the F-22’s weapons in 2019, with additional upgrades geared at enhancing digital communications between fourth- and fifth-generation airplanes scheduled for 2021.

The Air Force is currently in the early phase of improving and adjusting software and hardware functions for the F-22, with the goal being to connect the F-22 and F-35 sensor packages to one another.

John Cottam, F-22 Program Deputy, told Scout Warrior that the F-22 was designed to fly in concert with F-35.

"Software Update 6 for the F-22 will give the Air Force a chance to link their sensor packages together," he said. "Sensors are a key component to its capability. As the F-22 gets its new weapons on board, you are going to need to upgrade the sensors to use the new weapons capability."

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