F-22 Raptor

AIM-120 AMRAAM Slammer (Raytheon/Hughes)

AIM-9 Sidewinder (Raytheon/Philco/GE)

AIM-7 Sparrow (Raytheon)

The Lockheed F-22 Raptor, to be in service the United States Air Force, is undoubtedly the most advanced of all the fighter aircraft in development today. This aircraft is a true air dominance fighter and uses


highly advanced technology to insure air superiority. The F-22 will provide first look/first shot/first kill ability in all environments. The F-22's sophisticated sensor suite, cockpit design, and avionics that improve the pilot's situational awareness all make up the supercomputing power of the F-22. The F-22's engines allow the aircraft to "supercruise" to a high threat environment, thus greatly increasing the F-22's speed and range over other fighters. The F-22 will make use of its high thrust to weight ratio and thrust vectoring engines to outmaneuver all current and projected fighters. The F-22 uses the most advanced stealth technologies involving a very stealthy airframe, internal carriage of weapons, RAM, reduced IR signature, and much more to extremely diminish the enemy's ability to see the aircraft on radar or lock onto the aircraft with IR guided missiles. The F-22 also possesses a secondary air to surface role. In addition to the two 2000 lb. GPS guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions carried internally, the F-22 can be modified with under wing pylons to carry air to ground munitions once air superiority has been established. The F-22 will enter service in 2004.

Boeing is teamed with Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney and the U.S. Air Force to develop the F-22 Raptor as a replacement for the F-15C. The fast, agile, stealthy F-22 will take over the air superiority role with Air Combat Command starting in 2005. The Air Force plans to procure 339 F-22s, and production is scheduled to run through 2013. Mission The F-22's primary mission is to establish absolute control of the skies over any battlefield — a must-have in modern warfare. It provides first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability. The F-22 is an air superiority fighter with much improved capability over current Air Force aircraft. Its stealth, supercruise ability, integrated avionics and other features will make it the most potent fighter in the world. Current Activity A $9.55 billion contract for F-22 Engineering and Manufacturing Development, or EMD, was awarded to the team in August 1991. Contract changes since then have elevated the contract value to approximately $15 billion. Under the terms of the contract, the F-22 team is completing the design of the aircraft and avionics, building production tooling, and manufacturing and testing nine flight-test and two ground-test aircraft. In December 1998, the U.S. Air Force exercised a firm fixed-price contract option with the Lockheed Martin/Boeing contractor team totaling approximately $189 million for advance procurement of six Low Rate Initial Production aircraft. The production option was exercised less than a week after the Air Force exercised firm fixed-price contract options totaling approximately $503 million for two F-22 production representative test vehicle aircraft and associated program support for calendar year 1999. In December 1999, the F-22 team was awarded contracts totaling more than $1.5 billion to build six additional production representative test vehicle. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled to begin in November 2001 and continue through December 2002. Raptor Unveiled, Flight Testing Begins The first F-22 built under the EMD contract was unveiled in a ceremony on April 9, 1997, in Marietta, Ga. First flight took place on Sept. 7, 1997, and in May 1998, Raptor 01 made its formal entry into flight test. The newest F-22, Raptor 03, made its first flight in March 2000 with Boeing pilot Chuck Killberg at the controls. Significant flight milestones that have been met include surpassing the Congressionally mandated 183 flight-test hours, supersonic flight, in-flight refueling, weapon release and completing ground-vibration tests and angle-of-attack tests. As of April 2000, F-22 pilots at the Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., have logged 618 hours and 272 flights in the program's three test F-22s. Avionics Integration Boeing, responsible for integrating the Raptor's advanced avionics, has been testing software "blocks" in both its avionics integration lab, or AIL, since 1998, and on its 757 Flying Test Bed, or FTB, since March 1999. Both the AIL and FTB are helping reduce avionics risks and development costs by enabling extensive evaluation and troubleshooting before full avionics are ever installed on the F-22. As of April 2000, Boeing has completed more than 15,000 hours of avionics testing in the AIL and 430 hours on the FTB. Boeing delivered the first avionics flight-test package, Block 1.1, to Lockheed Martin ahead of schedule in May 1999. Boeing now is testing an early version of Block 3.0 software on the FTB. F-22 Team The F-22 teaming arrangement has allowed unprecedented industry cost-sharing and taken advantage of the different companies' strengths in advanced technology, production capability and systems integration. Prior to its selection as winner of what was then known as the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition, the F-22 team conducted a 54-month demonstration/validation program. The effort involved the design, construction and flight testing of two YF-22 prototype aircraft. Two prototype engines, the Pratt & Whitney YF119 and General Electric YF120, also were developed and tested during the program. The demonstration/validation program was completed in December 1990. Much of that work was performed by Boeing in Seattle, Wash.; Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) in Burbank, Calif.; and General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) in Fort Worth, Texas. The prototypes were assembled in Lockheed's Palmdale, Calif., facility and made their maiden flights from there. Since that time Lockheed's program management and aircraft assembly operations have moved to Marietta, Ga., for the EMD and production phases. Division of Work Boeing in Seattle, Wash., is responsible for the wings, aft fuselage (including the structures necessary for engine and nozzle installation), avionics integration, 70 percent of mission software, the training system, flight-test development and management, and the training, life-support and fire-protection systems. Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, a division of Lockheed Martin Corporation, based in Marietta, Ga., is responsible for program management, the integrated forebody (nose section) and forward fuselage (including the cockpit and inlets), leading edges of the wings, the fins and stabilators, flaps, ailerons, landing gear and final assembly of the aircraft. Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is responsible for the center fuselage; stores management; integrated navigation and electronic warfare systems; the communications, navigation, and identification system; and the weapon support system. Boeing Deliveries As of April 2000, Boeing has delivered 10 sets of wings and 11 aft-fuselages, as well as the first avionics flight-test package and a number of updates to team partner Lockheed Martin.

The F-22 Raptor incorporates the latest technological gains in low observables, avionics, materials, engine performance and aerodynamic design. Knowledge gained from proven weapon systems such as the F-15, F-16 and F-117 formed the foundation for F-22 development. 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. 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 supercruise accentuate the advantage of surprise in a tactical environment. Supersonic persistence: The F-22's engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine, especially in military (non-afterburner) power. Called "supercruise," 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. 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. 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 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 supercruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air engagement envelopes and minimizes threat capability to engage and shoot the F-22. 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. Engines: The F-22 will incorporate Pratt & Whitney's new F119 engine. Designed for efficient supersonic operation without afterburner use (supercruise), 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.

Weapons: 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.

Milestones: Sept. 29, 1990: First flight of Lockheed Martin-Boeing YF-22 prototype. April 23, 1991: Air Force awards F-22 Engineering & Manufacturing Development Contract to Lockheed Martin-Boeing team. Feb. 24, 1995: Air Force approves final design of the F-22. April 9, 1997: Air Force officially names the F-22 "Raptor" at rollout ceremony in Marietta, Ga. Sept. 7, 1997: First flight of the F-22 Raptor, piloted by F-22 Chief Test Pilot Paul Metz.