F-22 raptor fighter

Mission 

The F-22, a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, is designed to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances and defeat threats attempting to deny access to our nation's Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The F-22 cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.  

The F-22 Raptor is the Air Force's newest fighter aircraft. Its combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force. 

Features

First look/first shot/first kill in all environments:

 A combination of improved sensor capability, improved situational awareness and improved weapons provides first-kill opportunity against threats. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite that allows the pilot to track, identify and shoot the threat before it detects the F-22. Significant effort is being placed on cockpit design and avionics fusion to improve the pilot's situational awareness. Advanced avionics technologies allow the F-22 sensors to gather, integrate and display essential information in the most useful format to the pilot.

Supersonic persistence:

 The F-22's engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine, especially in military (non-afterburner) power. Called "super cruise," this characteristic allows the F-22 to efficiently cruise at supersonic airspeeds without using afterburners. This capability greatly expands the F-22's operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters that must use afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds.

Reduced observables:

 Advances in low-observable technologies provide significantly improved survivability and lethality against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. The F-22's combination of reduced observability and super cruise accentuate the advantage of surprise in a tactical environment.

Improved reliability and maintainability:

 To ensure operational flexibility, the F-22 has better reliability and maintainability than any military fighter in history. Increased F-22 reliability and maintainability pays off in less manpower required to fix the aircraft and consequently less airlift required to support a deployed squadron. Additionally, reduced maintenance support provides the benefit of reduced life-cycle cost and the ability to operate more efficiently from prepared or dispersed operating locations.

Increased maneuverability:

 The F-22 has been extensively designed, tested and refined aerodynamically during the demonstration/validation (dem/val) phase and the current Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. The F-22's sophisticated aero-design and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected threat aircraft. To ensure the F-22 provides air dominance for deep-interdiction aircraft, it operates at medium and high altitude at ranges superior to current generation air dominance aircraft.

Increased lethality and survivability:

 The above characteristics provide a synergistic effect that ensures F-22 lethality against an advanced air threat. The combination of reduced observability and super cruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air engagement envelopes and minimizes threat capability to engage and shoot the F-22.

Engines:

The F-22 will incorporate Pratt & Whitney's new F119 engine. Designed for efficient supersonic operation without afterburner use (super cruise), and with increased durability over today's engines, the F119 is a very high thrust-to-weight ratio engine. Advanced technologies in the F119 include integrated flight-propulsion controls and two-dimensional, thrust-vectoring engine nozzles.

Air-to-surface capability:

The F-22 has a secondary role to attack surface targets. The aircraft will be capable of carrying two 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support.

The F-22 is capable of carrying existing and planned air-to-air weapons. These include a full complement of medium-range missiles such as the AIM-120A advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM), and short-range missiles such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The F-22 also will have a modernized version of the proven M61 internal gun and growth provisions for other weapons. The aircraft also will be capable of carrying Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and other ground-attack weapons.

• Role Stealth: air superiority fighter
• National origin: United States
• Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
• Boeing Defense, Space & Security
• First flight: 7 September 1997[1]
• Introduction: 15 December 2005
• Status: In service, out of production[2]
• Primary user: United States Air Force
• Produced: 1997-2011
• Number built: 195 (8 test and 187 operational) aircraft[2]
• Program cost: US$66.7 billion[3]
• Unit cost: US$150 million (flyaway cost for FY2009)[4]
• Developed from: Lockheed YF-22
• Developed into: Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA
• Lockheed Martin FB-22