Why F35B Shattered Expectations While F22 Crumbled in the Ultimate Showdown

Fri, 01 May 2026 18:07:48 +0000

Why the F-35B Shattered Expectations While the F-22 Crumbled in the Ultimate Fighter Jet Showdown In the ever-evolving world of advanced military aviation, the battle between the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II and its retired peer, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (and earlier, the F-22 Raptor), represents more than just a technological showcase—it’s a dramatic clash of design philosophies, strategic priorities, and battlefield realities. Amid this ultimate showdown, the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant shocked analysts and competitors alike by shattering expectations, while the once-promised F-22 crumbled under operational, cost, and capability pressures. ### The Rise of the F-35B: Overpromised, Underdelivered, Then Rewritten While the F-22 Raptor emerged as a silver-haired warrior—stealthy, supersonic, and dominant in air-to-air combat—the F-35B Lightning II delivered a revolutionary promise far beyond its original expectations. Unlike its multivariate sensors and stealth adaptations, the F-35B’s true revelation lies in its STOVL capability, unlocking a domain of operations both unique and elusive.