‘Catfish’ 757 Spotted Carrying New Stealthy Infrared Pod for F-22’s Raptor 2.0

Boeing’s heavily modified 757 testbed, nicknamed “Catfish,” was recently photographed carrying a low-observable infrared sensor pod mounted beneath the forward fuselage—a configuration not previously seen on this station. The pod is part of the Air Force’s Raptor 2.0 upgrade effort for the F-22, and Catfish has long served as a key systems-integration platform for Raptor development.

Catfish with the pod under its fuselage seen on approach to Edwards Air Force Base in California.Jerod Harris

Photographer Jerod Harris captured the aircraft as it landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California—America’s principal center for flight test and evaluation. The testbed wears U.S. civil registration N757A and is notable for being the very first 757 built, with its first flight in 1982.

Another view of Catfish carrying the stealthy infrared sensor pod.Jerod Harris

Why Catfish Matters

Catfish’s extensively reshaped nose is designed to replicate the F-22’s profile and houses the same AN/APG-77 AESA radar. Modified upper-surface fairings ahead of the cockpit were used to test conformal antennas for the Raptor’s AN/ALR-94 electronic support measures and other elements of the aircraft’s fused sensor suite. Internally the 757 is outfitted with workstations and systems— including a replica Raptor cockpit—so engineers can support long-duration, complex test campaigns that a fighter-sized platform cannot easily accommodate.

Catfish continues on with its approach to Edwards.Jerod Harris

The Pod And Its Purpose

Mounting the stealthy infrared pod beneath the forward fuselage gives its sensors a wide, unobstructed field of view forward, as well as broad coverage to the left, right and down—ideal for testing seeker performance and tracking behavior. Although these pods have been flown on operational F-22s for years, using Catfish as a surrogate preserves limited Raptors and reduces cost: large testbeds offer longer endurance, room for dozens of engineers and onboard instrumentation, and greater flexibility for extended, steady flight profiles.

An F-22 with the stealthy underwing infrared sensor pods and drop tanks seen on a test flight over the Mojave Desert in March 2026.Jarod Hamilton

Smaller business jets such as the North American Sabreliner have also been used to test similar pods. Recent imagery and reports noted a Rockwell Sabreliner 65 (N33TR, “AIRBORNE33”) operating with an F-22 pod after trials at Nellis AFB alongside RATT55/NT-43A radar testbed flights.

Catfish seen flying together with a pair of F-22s near Edwards in 2024.Courtesy photo/Kyle Larson via USAFChase Kohler

Raptor 2.0 And Broader Testing Needs

Under Raptor 2.0, planned upgrades include an integrated distributed infrared search and track capability called the Infrared Defensive System (IRDS), new low-observable drop tanks, enhancements to the jet’s stealth treatments, upgraded radar and electronic-warfare systems, and the ability for some F-22s to serve as airborne controllers for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones. Growing demand for IRST and related systems has driven multi-platform flight testing and contributed to an uptick in U.S. military flight-test activity.

China’s Tu-204C-based ‘Catfish’ testbed jet.Chinese internet via X

Looking Ahead

Catfish is now over four decades old, and Boeing 757s are becoming increasingly costly to sustain. With Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and Boeing’s F-47 work progressing, the Air Force and industry may eventually field newer, purpose-built testbeds tailored to future fighters’ geometry and avionics. For now, Catfish remains a highly useful and visually distinctive asset supporting the iterative modernization of the F-22.

China likewise operates a similar surrogate testbed based on the Tupolev Tu-204C to support development of the Chengdu J-20.

Special thanks to Jerod Harris for sharing the photos of Catfish carrying the stealthy under-fuselage sensor pod.