...The F-22's potential for electronic warfare (EW) is more intriguing and may be the mission that ensures the airplane is not abruptly terminated. Designed to go against sophisticated Soviet Cold War air defenses, the F-22 has a built-in complex of passive electronics surveillance sensors along the outside edges of the aircraft that allow it to rapidly identify and locate signals. It also has a radar that could be used to concentrate its transmission power strongly enough to jam air defense radars and communications links. With the addition of other equipment in 2010, it should be possible to focus enough energy into a beam strong enough to damage the electronics of enemy sensors. Combine with its "supercruise" ability (flying at supersonic speeds without guzzling excessive amounts of fuel) and its stealthy features, the F-22 is years ahead of any currently fielded (unclassified) flying EW airplane.
Designs for earlier generation electronic warfare aircraft to jam radars and communications systems were typically an afterthought, using an existing airframe such as the F-4 or A-6, rewriting it, and hanging a lot of electronics pods and generators on the wings. Adding such equipment took away from the capability to bring along weapons for self-defense and made the airplane a larger radar target. Currently, the Navy operates 100 aging (21 years old) EA-6 Prowlers to provide EW protection for both Navy and Air Force operations under a joint agreement and plans to replace the Prowlers with a version of the F-18. The Navy would like to start bringing the EF-18 "Growler" into service by 2010, but the Air Force wants other alternatives to be considered, including a dedicated UAV, a modified B-52 with very large jamming pods and a belly full of bombs to "kinetically suppress" radar emitters, and a version of the F-22.
