Eagle_Giuli
Airman
The US Air Force, that put some years ago a new designation to the F-22 Raptor (F/A-22), have decided these days to re-designate the aircraft as F-22A.
Reasons? the Raptor wouldn't be a good attack aircraft, so the USAF decided to use it only as a fighter, with F-15E and F-16C as CAS aircraft, waiting to the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which would be entering in service in 2015.
The re-designation gives the opportunity to rename possibles modifications to the aircraft, as FEA-22 (Electronic Attack), FB-22 (Fighter/Bomber/CAS), EF-22 (Electronic vigilance), between others.
Reasons? the Raptor wouldn't be a good attack aircraft, so the USAF decided to use it only as a fighter, with F-15E and F-16C as CAS aircraft, waiting to the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which would be entering in service in 2015.
The re-designation gives the opportunity to rename possibles modifications to the aircraft, as FEA-22 (Electronic Attack), FB-22 (Fighter/Bomber/CAS), EF-22 (Electronic vigilance), between others.