The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). As a result of the USAF’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, but it also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22’s airframe and weapons systems and conducted the final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.
Additional footage includes the story of the YF-23, the F-22 Raptor competitor, and a video collection of some of the army’s aircraft and amphibious vehicles.
The F-22 first flew in 1997 and was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Despite its protracted development and operational difficulties, USAF considers the F-22 a critical component of its tactical airpower. The fighter’s combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and mission systems enable unprecedented air combat capabilities.
The USAF had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs. In 2009, the program was cut to 187 operational aircraft due to high costs, a lack of air-to-air missions due to the focus on counterinsurgency operations at the time of production, a ban on exports, and the development of the more affordable and versatile F-35, with the last F-22 delivered in 2012.
In 1981, the U.S. Air Force identified an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) requirement to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Code-named “Senior Sky”, this air-superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging worldwide threats, including new developments in Soviet air defense systems and the proliferation of the Sukhoi Su-27 “Flanker”- and Mikoyan MiG-29 “Fulcrum”-class of fighter aircraft. It would take advantage of the new technologies in fighter design on the horizon, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems and avionics, more powerful propulsion systems, and, most importantly, stealth technology. In 1983, the ATF concept development team became the System Program Office (SPO) and managed the program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) request for proposals (RFP) was issued in September 1985, with requirements strongly emphasizing stealth and supercruise. Owing to the immense investments required to develop the technology needed to achieve performance goals, teaming between companies was encouraged. Of the seven bidding companies, Lockheed and Northrop were selected on 31 October 1986…
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.92 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m)
Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
Wing area: 840 sq ft (78.04 m2)
Aspect ratio: 2.36
Airfoil: NACA 6 series airfoil
Empty weight: 43,340 lb (19,700 kg)
Gross weight: 64,840 lb (29,410 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 83,500 lb (38,000 kg)
Fuel capacity: 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) internally, or 26,000 lb (12,000 kg) with two 2× 600 US gal tanks
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 augmented turbofans, 26,000 lbf (116 kN) thrust each dry, 35,000 lbf (156 kN) with afterburner
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.25, 1,500 mph (2,414 km/h) at altitude
Mach 1.21, 800 knots (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) at sea level
Mach 1.82, 1,220 mph (1,963 km/h) supercruise at altitude
Range: 1,600 nmi (1,800 mi, 3,000 km) or more with 2 external fuel tanks
Combat range: 460 nmi (530 mi, 850 km) clean with 100 nmi (115 mi, 185 km) in supercruise
590 nmi (679 mi, 1,093 km) clean subsonic
Ferry range: 1,740 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km)
Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
g limits: +9.0/−3.0
Wing loading: 77.2 lb/sq ft (377 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 1.08 (1.25 with loaded weight and 50% internal fuel)
Armament
Guns: 1× 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon, 480 rounds
Internal weapons bays:
Air-to-air mission loadout:
6× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
Air-to-ground mission loadout:
2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM or 8× 250 lb (110 kg) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs
2× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
Hardpoint (external):
4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry weapons, each with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,270 kg) or 600 U.S. gallon (2,270 L) drop tanks
4x AIM-120 AMRAAM (external)
Avionics
AN/APG-77 or AN/APG-77(V)1 radar: 125–150 miles (201–241 km) against 1 m2 (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range), more than 250 miles (400 km) in narrow beams
AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD)
AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare system: 250 nautical miles (460 km) or more detection range for radar warning receiver (RWR)
Integrated CNI Avionics
MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles
Photo credit: https://mvrphotography.zenfolio.com/
#f22 #f22raptor #raptor
37 Comments
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I wonder if habitual line crosser has seen this documentary
So please remind us how deadly this super duper fighter jet is? 20+ years in service and a Chinese weather balloon with two missiles fired only confirmed air to air kill.
Im confused this was going on in the mid 80's , what was with the clip of Donald Rice referencing the roll stealth played in Desert Storm which didn't happen till 1991?? I mean were jumping back and forth from the 70's to 2020's every point between like that was how the timeline went ….
How were we so careless in allowing China to steal the blueprints of the F-22 and F-35, and what else did they steal? I hope that we're more careful with the new advanced fighter.
This is an absolute GEM of a video!!! I haven't seen this before. I'm familiar with this engineering marvel which rivals the space shuttle. This is just a great video with no gimmicks and great production. I like how there's a focus on the many, many, thousands of men and women whom without we would have no F-22. Them & the men & women of our armed forces I appreciate you America appreciates you!
To have seen aviation come this far is, for old farts like me, a thing of beauty. I remember seeing the WWII airplanes going overhead, the Mustang has always been my favorite but these days, wow! Phenomenal! Whenever my brother from Europe visits, we always have a day or two set aside to watch these airplanes in action as we stand near Nellis Airforce base.
One of the most memorable moments my late wife and I encountered was heading out one late afternoon on I-15 Northbound when we saw two "strange" black flat-looking airplanes going up from Nellis Airforce base. Both of them seemed to be in a slow-motion action and out of the blue, to our surprise, the moment they were horizontal they were gone behind the mountain range on our left in a split second. We were stunned! Turns out these were the new F-117 Nighthawks.
Very much enjoy this report on the coolest jet alive.
Too expensive to operate.
They make the coolest stuff but when they change their name to Skunk Works they really should have changed it to the military industrial complex
Spaceship with wings
I can't imagine what deep secret programs are capable of…
The US are an unmatched power in the whole human history
Lockheed only won because if they didn't they would have to close there doors. The F23 was superior in every aspect, faster, stealthier, more manuverable, even the pilots who have flown the 22 & the 23 said the US dropped the ball. The best plain was left behind. Infant the 23 is the strongest influence on modern 6th Gen fighters. For example the UK new 5/6th generation fighter (the Tempest) looks like the former YF23 and nothing like the substandard f22 model for the new 6th generation platforms. The US in the 90s produced two 6th generation fighters in a 2nd 3rd Gen world.
At 1 : 14 : 50 to 1 : 14 : 52 something crosses the screen top to bottom . Couldn't tell what it was . Looked like a spitball .
They chose the F-22 because it was more Maneuverable in Dogfights with its thrust vectoring.
The F-23 was faster and More Stealthy.
When building the F-35 they skipped thrust vectoring. They wanted the F-35 to be more stealthy and be able to take out enemy planes without being seen.
Dog fights are almost a thing of the past.
In hindsight the F-23 might have been a better plane considering it was faster and more stealthy exactly what they want when building a fighter in 2024
I remember when Obama and company killed the F22 program in favor of the F35 program. Thats why we only have about 150 of them. Why would you stop a fully tooled to do it facility for another program thats of course overbudget, frought with problems, not as capable as this kick ass fighter? Every pilot wants to drive an F22, not a 35. Because its just I smell pay off bs
These men and women that contributed to AMERICA'S AERIAL MIGHT, are all AMERICAN PATRIOTS. this fake administration is NOT. joe bidumb is a disgrace and has done everything he could do to hurt AMERICAN ARMED FORCES MIGHT all for chinese DARK MONEY. joe is the REAL SKUNK.
Why does America and Great Britain have to be the parents of the world why can't these other 127 countries around the world act like freaking children they need to act their age I ran and Israel is Israel but Hezbollah. Places like Africa and places like Somalia very very old countries they've been around longer than the United States they should be more established than the United States they should have bigger and better governments England has been around longer than the United States but it's not the the larger power they have handed that over to the United States why does the United States have to be responsible for everybody we have enough to take care of with ourselves our country suffers because of other countries the other children in the world who need our help or want our help or cry for our help like Ukraine and Bosnia and a few other countries it's just ridiculous He's countries are so old and so established they should be able to stand on their own and act like a proper country should these countries are some of the worst we're only 200 plus years old and we are in control of the world wtf people WTF why are we the ones that have to maintain peace we need to keep taking care of our own stop worrying about the babies of the world there are no new countries some of the youngest countries in the world right now are Puerto Rico Cuba places in South America it's just ridiculous Saudi Arabia has been around forever and so is Baghdad but no they can't control themselves they've always been mooring factions in the history of their countries they should have been able to get along ever since they were in invented by God
too old and too expensive.
No other jet is so efficient in shooting down balloons.
In 2024 the budgets dont do anyone any favors. We let the private sector price gouge everything. Its corruption at its finest. Yeah its great to have superior technology but when literally everyone is corrupt and our leaders are compromised, what good does any of it do?
👍👍👍
Moron test pilot forgot to put the landing gear down. Smh
The next fighter jet will have to be able to fly into space and operate in space above the earth outer space to protect are assets in space and to help clean up dead sate-lights.
Once the hypersonic missiles flight to the F22 direction surely the pilot will shit to his panda say goodbye to this earth planet.
it might shoot down the first gripen e but it would be in the ground when the next one shows up…
dodge
Designed on a Beige computer
I'm totally excited that Japan is building the yf23
Yf-23 was better
wrong plane
i love f 23
F22 DA BEST
That wasn't the age of Heroes, you don't get to say your name, and you will not be remembered, all you are is a head of a count nameless faceless, property of stockholders that each have a piece of you and that you will shatter easily
Badassery aside, that is one sexy bird!
The jet tech is crazy but the real power of the f22 or f35 is the pilots extreme levels of training and US logistical support.
In reality, the CIA created a russian jet scare that is really no match with the F15.