Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor vs Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II
Full specs: Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II are both fighter aircraft, compared here on public specifications. The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II leads on weapons payload (8,160 vs 2,270 kg).
Verdict
These two American fifth-generation jets were built for different jobs, so "which wins" depends entirely on the mission. The F-22A is the faster, more maneuverable air-superiority specialist, supercruise-capable, thrust-vectoring, and widely regarded as harder to detect, but it carries a smaller weapons payload (2,270kg vs the F-35A's 8,160kg), was capped at 195 airframes, and was never exported. The F-35A trades some raw kinematic performance for sensor fusion, a 360-degree Distributed Aperture System, networked datalink sharing, and a much larger, more affordable, multirole-capable fleet across 20 nations. In pure air-to-air performance the Raptor still leads; as an overall force-multiplying, exportable, strike-capable platform, the F-35A is the more complete system, which is exactly why the U.S. Air Force flies both rather than choosing one.
Analysis by Cole Merrick, Defense-systems data columnist, WeaponSpecs · Last updated 2026-08-06
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Full data
Full spec sheet
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 2,410 km/h ✓ | 1,960 km/h |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 2.25 Mach ✓ | 1.6 Mach |
| Cruise speed (km/h) | 1,960 km/h | N/A |
| Range (km) | 2,960 km ✓ | 2,200 km |
| Combat radius (km) | 850 km | 1,240 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 19,812 m ✓ | 15,240 m |
| Rate of climb (m/s) | 254 m/s | N/A |
| Thrust-to-weight | 1.08 ✓ | 0.87 |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 8 | 10 ✓ |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 2,270 kg | 8,160 kg ✓ |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 18.92 m | 15.67 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 19,700 kg | 13,290 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 29,410 kg | 22,470 kg |
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | 156 kN | 191 kN ✓ |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $143,000,000 | $82,500,000 ✓ |
| Units built | 195 | 1,100 ✓ |
| Operator countries | 1 | 20 ✓ |
Analysis
Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor vs Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II: how they match up
Air superiority vs multirole design intent
The F-22A was designed from the outset as a dedicated air-dominance fighter: high speed, supercruise, and agility to win the first engagement in contested airspace. The F-35A was designed as a networked, sensor-fused multirole platform, air-to-air capable but built equally for strike, close air support, and command-and-control functions across a joint force, reflected in its larger 8,160kg weapons payload against the Raptor's 2,270kg.
Kinematics and sensors
The F-22 outperforms the F-35A on raw numbers: Mach 2.25 top speed and supercruise at Mach 1.82, against the F-35A's Mach 1.6 and no true supercruise, plus a higher thrust-to-weight ratio (1.08 vs 0.87) from its twin F119 engines with thrust vectoring. The F-35A counters with the newer AN/APG-81 AESA radar, the 360-degree AN/AAQ-37 DAS, and MADL networking that shares its sensor picture with other F-35s and, increasingly, other platforms, a capability the older F-22 was not originally built around.
Fleet scale and cost
Only 195 F-22As exist and production ended in 2011 with no export ever permitted; each airframe carries a program-average flyaway cost around $143 million. The F-35A, at roughly $82.5 million on recent lots, is both cheaper and vastly more numerous, over 1,100 built for 20 operator nations, making it the platform the U.S. and allies can actually field at scale.
Combat record
The F-22 has flown air-to-ground strikes over Syria and high-end intercept/escort missions. The F-35A has a broader and more recent combat footprint, including strikes during the 2026 Iran war that tested its low observability against a dense, modern integrated air-defense system, a scenario closer to the contested environments both jets were ultimately built to operate in.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the US Air Force fly both the F-22 and F-35? +
They fill different roles: the F-22 for high-end air superiority and the F-35 as a networked multirole strike and sensor platform across a much larger, exportable fleet.
Is the F-22 faster than the F-35? +
Yes. The F-22A's Mach 2.25 top speed and supercruise capability exceed the F-35A's Mach 1.6, reflecting their different design priorities.
Can the F-35 be exported but not the F-22? +
Correct. U.S. law has barred F-22 export since the program began, while the F-35 was designed from the outset as a multinational program now flown by 20 nations.
Which carries more weapons, the F-22 or F-35? +
The F-35A, with an 8,160kg payload versus the F-22A's 2,270kg, reflecting its broader strike and multirole mission set beyond pure air-to-air combat.
Which is faster, Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 2,410 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor has the longest range at 2,960 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II carries the largest weapons payload at 8,160 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has the lower public unit-cost figure at 82,500,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed (mach)? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor has the higher max speed (mach) at 2.25 Mach.
Which has the higher combat radius? +
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has the higher combat radius at 1,240 km.
Is the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor better than the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II? +
On the public specs we track, the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor leads on 4 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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