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One of the biggest advantages for the F-22 is stealth. Conventional air defence systems like the S300 are phenomenally effective against non-stealth aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-300_%28missile%29

Air superiority is pretty much mandatory for any US ground movement - they wouldn't step into any hostile territory unless they clear the air.

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The problem is that it isn't clear that the F-22's biggest advantage will actually work in the real world. Radar cross-section is highly frequency dependent, (guess how they shot down an F-117 in Bosnia, a plane, which made even more sacrifices in the name of stealth) and there is little evidence that the F-22 is any less observable in a multi-static radar environment (which, oh, by the way, China has been developing). This problem is only going to get worse as time goes on and DSPs get more powerful.

So, given that stealth is the F-22's entire reason for being, I'd categorically state that canceling the boondoggle was one of the smartest things our government has done in quite a while.

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