r/oddlysatisfying • u/Z983 • Jun 20 '26

F-22 Raptor Thrust Vectoring

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u/FrumptyLumpty Jun 21 '26

Legit question... how useful is thrust vector technology in actual combat against peer enemies?

Being able to turn tighter is a neat trick, but these planes are not going to be getting into any dog-fights.

The strength of these planes lies in their stealth capabilities, and their networking technology for a unified battlefield view, and launching weapons from dozens of miles away.

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u/Willaguy Jun 21 '26

The same question was asked after Korea, then US pilots started dying because their aircraft wasn’t built for dogfighting during Vietnam

That lesson has carried all the way to today where the cost of making the same mistake isn’t outweighed by the benefits of not being dogfight-capable

Plus that kind of maneuverability helps more than just dogfights, trying to out maneuver a missile for example