Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor
| F-22 Raptor | |
|---|---|
| An F-22 over Kadena Air Base, Japan, in 2009 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Air superiority fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer |
|
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 195 (8 test and 187 operational aircraft)[N 1][1] |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1996–2011 |
| Introduction date | 15 December 2005 |
| First flight | 7 September 1997 |
| Developed from | Lockheed YF-22 |
| Developed into |
|
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine, jet-powered, all-weather, supersonic stealth fighter aircraft. As a product of the United States Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, but also incorporates ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22 airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while program partner Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.
First flown in 1997, the F-22 descended from the Lockheed YF-22 and was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. It replaced the F-15 Eagle in most active duty U.S. Air Force (USAF) squadrons. Although the service had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs to replace its entire F-15 fleet, it later scaled down to 381 and the program was ultimately cut to 195 aircraft – 187 of them operational models – in 2009 due to political opposition from high costs, a perceived lack of air-to-air threats at the time of production, and the development of the more affordable and versatile F-35 Lightning II.[N 2] The last aircraft was delivered in 2012.
The F-22 is a critical component of the USAF's tactical airpower as its most advanced air superiority fighter. While it had a protracted development and initial operational difficulties, the aircraft became the service's leading counter-air platform. Its deployments include Okinawa, the Middle East, and NATO's eastern flank. Although designed for air superiority operations, the F-22 has also carried out and supported airstrikes. The F-22 is expected to remain a cornerstone of the USAF's fighter fleet until its succession by the Boeing F-47 expected around 2030.[3][4]
Cite error: There are <ref group=N> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=N}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Parsons, Gary. "Final F-22 Delivered" Archived 13 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Combat Aircraft Monthly, 3 May 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ^ Baron, Kevin (16 September 2009). "Gates outlines Air Force priorities and expectations". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- ^ Trimble, Steve (21 March 2025). "Boeing Wins U.S. Air Force's NGAD F-47 Fighter Contract". Aviation Week & Space Technology. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ^ Epstein, Jake (21 March 2025). "First US sixth-gen fighter jet will be the F-47, Trump says, and Boeing, not Lockheed, is going to build it". Business Insider. Retrieved 21 March 2025.