Why The US Marines Fly The F-35B, But Not The F-22

The United States military operates a lot of different types of aircraft, and the Marine Corps is no exception. The USMC's latest aircraft, the F-35B Lightning II, is similar to the other variants used by the Air Force and Navy. However, one advanced fighter jet isn't in the Corps' inventory: the F-22 Raptor, which is flown only by the Air Force. That's not to say a Marine or two hasn't gotten into the cockpit of an F-22, but it's a rare opportunity and not standard operating procedure by any measure.

The F-22 remains an Air Force asset, and there are several reasons. Most notably, the F-22 is the world's first 5th generation fighter jet, and it wasn't an inexpensive plane to get off the ground. Costs skyrocketed far beyond expectations such that a single F-22 cost American taxpayers an astounding $369.5 million. Compare that to the $121.4 million the Corps pays for each F-35B, and it's clear that cost is a huge factor. Additionally, the F-22 program was cut early, resulting in fewer than 200 aircraft in total, 184 of which remain in operation according to the most recent figures.

Beyond cost and availability, the F-22 isn't STOVL-capable, meaning it can't perform short takeoff and vertical landings. This is a vital concern for the USMC, which flew the AV-8B Harrier II for decades. Its replacement, the F-35B, is the only one of the three F-35 variants capable of doing so. Even then, it required a complete redesign to ensure that it was precisely the aircraft the Marines needed.

The Marine Corps has its own fighter jets, and the service operates in a completely different capacity than the Navy and Air Force, both of which operate F-35 variants. The F-22 is an air-dominance fighter that's meant for dogfighting, but that's not what the Corps needs. Instead, the USMC needs a multi-role strike fighter that can conduct ground-attack missions, perform electronic warfare operations, and more. The F-35B is perfect for this. The F-22, while a very capable fighter, isn't ideal for such operations.

The Marines typically operate along coastlines and in areas devoid of landing strips. For that reason, STOVL capability is essential. This allows the F-35B to take off from and land at most, if not all, locations the Marines would commonly operate from, making it a vital asset for modern Marine Corps operations. Another reason the F-35B is favored over the F-22 is that it's a more modern platform built from the ground up using lessons learned from the latter.

On top of all this, so few F-22s exist that the Air Force would have to hand planes over to the Marines if they wanted to start flying them, including flight simulators and other training equipment vital to the aircraft's operation. There aren't enough F-22s to go around without restarting production, which Congress is unlikely to authorize.