How the F-22 Is Getting Software Updates Faster Than Ever

March 29, 2026

An F-22 Raptor assigned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis takes off during exercise Checkered Flag 26-1 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 29, 2025. (Image: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Halley Clark)

Defense Unicorns, a Colorado-based startup, recently demonstrated a key enabler for continuous software delivery to the F-22 Raptor. For the first time, software in the F-22 open mission system compute enclave was installed and upgraded on the aircraft in a matter of minutes . When operationalized, this will help enable rapid deployment of new capabilities across the fleet. This demonstration lays the groundwork to enable future Air Force personnel, including pilots and maintainers, to update software capabilities within an Open Mission Systems (OMS) computing environment on the aircraft.

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, CEO of Defense Unicorns Rob Slaughter explains how their secure software delivery technology enables faster, repeatable updates to flight‑critical systems without changing the aircraft’s underlying hardware. He walks through the Air Force demonstration showcasing how new F‑22 mission capabilities can be packaged, deployed, and updated more rapidly than traditional methods allow. The conversation highlights what was delivered during the demo and why this approach represents a major shift in how legacy fighter platforms can receive software-driven upgrades at speed.

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