The stealth bomber that was born from a fighter jet

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the early 2000s, Lockheed Martin proposed an aircraft that could do the impossible: turn a high-performance air superiority fighter into a heavy-hitting regional bomber. By leveraging existing tech, they aimed to create a stealthy strike platform at a fraction of the cost of building something new.

The FB-22 was conceived as an interim 'regional bomber' to bridge the gap until the U.S. Air Force could field its next generation of strategic aircraft. To keep costs low, Lockheed Martin designed it to share roughly 80% of the avionics, software, and flight controls of the F-22 Raptor. This commonality was intended to drastically reduce development expenses; estimates suggested the FB-22 could be developed for as little as 25% of the cost of a new bomber, totaling approximately $5–7 billion in 2002 dollars.

Engineering the transition from fighter to bomber required significant structural modifications. While several variants were explored—some featuring stretched fuselages or enlarged delta wings—the most viable designs focused on enlarging the wing area while keeping the F-22's fuselage largely intact. A key innovation was the 'wing weapons bay,' a system of detachable, faceted pods that allowed the aircraft to carry external weapons without sacrificing its stealth profile. This would have enabled a maximum combat load of 15,000 pounds in low-observable mode, or up to 30,000 pounds if stealth was not a priority.

The FB-22's performance metrics were tailored for strike missions rather than dogfighting. It featured modified Pratt & Whitney F119 engines optimized for subsonic efficiency and could reach a combat radius of about 1,800 nautical miles at subsonic speeds. Although it would have lacked the F-22's maneuverability, it was designed to carry between 30 and 35 Small Diameter Bombs. Despite its potential, the project was suspended in 2006 when the Department of Defense shifted focus toward a larger, longer-range strategic bomber program, eventually leading to the B-21 Raider.

The proposal highlighted a shift in military doctrine toward conventional precision bombing and network-centric warfare. By utilizing the F-22's existing design work, the Air Force hoped to rapidly deploy a capability that could reach targets quickly and remain in theater without relying on surface-to-air missile coverage.

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