F/A-22 Raptor

The F/A-22 Raptor is a combat jet aircraft built by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, intended to be the leading United States advanced tactical fighter (ATF) in the early part of the 21st century. The first test flight of the Raptor occurred on September 7, 1997. The first production F/A-22 was delivered to the Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on January 14, 2003.

F/A-22 Raptors flying over the California landscape

The Raptor is designed to carry its air-to-air missiles in internal bays to avoid disrupting its stealthiness. The missiles are launched by hydraulic arms that hurl them away from the jet so quickly that the weapons-bay doors pop open for less than one second.

The United States Air Force originally planned an order of 750 ATFs, with production from 1994. Following the 1990 Major Aircraft Review, production was to begin in 1996 for a total of 648 aircraft. By 1994 the figure stood at 442 planes for service entry in 2003/2004. Based on the F/A-22, the swing-wing NATF was proposed for the U.S. Navy to replace the F-14 Tomcat, though the program was subsequently cancelled in 1993.

Specifications

Role: single-seat air superiority fighter
Dimensions
- Wingspan: 13.56m (44ft 6in)
- Length: 18.90m (62ft 1in)
- Height: 5.08m (16ft 5in)
Engines
- Two Pratt and Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans each rated at 155.69kN (35,000lb) static thrust with afterburning, capable of supercruise and thrust vectoring
Performance
- Speed
  - Maximum level speed "clean" at optimum altitude - Mach 1.58 in supercruise mode; maximum speed with afterburners is mentioned at "approx M2.0".
- Service Ceiling
  - Classified; >50,000ft (15,240 meters)
Weights
- Classified
Armament (internal)
- Six AIM-120C AMRAAM (Advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles) or
- Two AIM-120C AMRAAMs, two AIM-9 Sidewinders and two 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM)
- One M61A2 20mm Gatling gun
Armament (external)
- Four external stations for weapons or fuel tanks
Cost: USD 152 m (based on September 2003 estimate of build 276 aircraft at USD 42 bn [1])