The radar mounted on the F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) can be used to fry electronic parts of ground-based radars and disable airborne cruise missiles, program officials for the planes acknowledge.

U.S. Air Force officials and contractors have longed bragged about the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, citing its ability to track multiple targets, map terrain and protect planes from attack. And there have been hints of offensive capability, like a brief mention of ?high power electronic attack? on one of the JSF?s glossy marketing brochures.

But contractors say they have not publicly talked about the capability ? until now.

?It could cause actual physical damage to a system ? providing it?s on the X-band,? a common frequency for military radars, said Wayne Wilson, the director of fighter business development for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems.

The radars ? the AN/APG-77 for the Raptor and the more advanced AN/APG-81 intended for the JSF ? emit electromagnetic emissions that could be used to damage or disrupt guidance components in cruise missiles, Wilson said. Other sources said the radar also can help deflect air-to-air missiles.

It?s been a given that pilots could use the radar to track the missiles, or other aircraft, in order to attack them with their own air-to-air weapons. But, military analysts say, it?s the offensive possibilities that make the sensor-turned-weapon a much more powerful tool.

They say the Air Force could fly a ?wall? of Raptors or JSFs through an area to knock out enemy radars, sweeping a battle zone clean of many threats to aircraft and ground forces.

The revelation comes as Air Force officials work to convince Pentagon officials to allow them to buy more of the stealthy, supersonic Raptors. Service officials want more than 400 of the jets, but Pentagon officials decided to cap the program at about 180.

Source: Defensenews.com