The F-22 deters, defends, attacks The F-22 Raptor, developed at Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the replacement for the F-15 Eagle air-superiority fighter and will become operational early this century. It combines stealth design with the supersonic, highly maneuverable, dual-engine, long-range requirements of an air-to-air fighter, and it also will have an inherent air-to-ground capability, if needed. The F-22’s integrated avionics gives it first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability that will guarantee U.S. air dominance for the next three decades. First flight of the Raptor occurred on Sept. 7, 1997. F-22s are currently undergoing flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The purpose of the F-22 program is to develop, field, and support the next-generation, air-dominance fighter weapon system, and to establish the standard for acquisition excellence. Air dominance, provided by the F-22, guarantees freedom of maneuverability for ground, air, and naval forces. It protects militarily important infrastructures, such as command and control facilities, power grids, and factories, while increasing the efficiency of other military operations. The airframe will be built of titanium, aluminum, composites, steel, and other materials. Titanium and both thermoset and thermoplastic composites will comprise the largest percentage of materials, 30 and 26 percent respectively. The balanced design of the F-22 incorporates performance (supercruise, maneuver advantage, acceleration), reliability, maintainability and supportability (high readiness, self-sufficiency, reduced support), survivability (low observability), integrated avionics, optimum payload, and affordability (low life-cycle cost, reduced deployability costs).

F-22 Raptor over California