The F-22 Raptor contrasts with previous fighters in that it combines stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and fused avionics to provide a quantum leap in warfighting capability. It is a very advanced fighter capable of engaging both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, materializing the operational concepts of the 21st-century Air Force.
The F-22 Raptor is a linchpin of the Global Strike Task Force, projected air dominance quickly and at great distances, defeating threats that could deny access to the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. “The F-22 cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft,” summarizes its unrivaled capabilities.
The F-22 sports a world-class sensor suite, which will allow pilots to detect, identify, and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. These advances are matched by large steps forward in cockpit design and sensor fusion to enhance situation awareness. In its air-to-air configuration, the Raptor is armed with six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders.
The F-22 can conduct air-to-ground missions, carrying two 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions internally, guided by onboard avionics handling all the navigation and weapons delivery. Upgrades planned for the future include a new radar and the ability to carry up to eight small-diameter bombs while still carrying its air-to-air armament of two AIM-120s and two AIM-9s.
The F-22’s low-observable technologies significantly improve its survivability and lethality against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. This capability for stealth not only allows the aircraft to protect itself but also other assets within the operational theater.
Its engines produce more thrust than any fighter engine in service today, allowing the F-22 to fly at supersonic speeds above 1.5 Mach without afterburners. This is called supercruise, a significant extension of the operational envelope over current fighters, which need fuel-hungry afterburners to achieve supersonic speeds.
The combination of its aerodynamic design, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio on the F-22 makes it maneuverable and unparalleled anywhere in the world. This design has been tested and improved to a great extent until it can assure a lead over present and near-future competitors.
The synergism of stealth, integrated avionics, and supercruise considerably reduces the engagement envelopes of surface-to-air missiles, thereby minimizing, if not negating, enemy tracking capabilities. The synergy of these qualities guarantees F-22A lethality against advanced air threats, heightening the element of surprise within the tactical environment.
The F-22 also ensures superior reliability and maintainability. With this, it lessens manpower for maintenance duties, therefore improving operational efficiency.
The Advanced Tactical Fighter program entered the Demonstration and Validation phase in 1986, but prototype flights of the YF-22 and YF-23 did not fly until late 1990. The selection of the YF-22 resulted in the engineering and manufacturing development phase in 1991; subsystem and system testing went into detailed programs while flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base started in 1997 with the first EMD flight.
The program got the nod for low-rate initial production in 2001 after which successful operational and test evaluations were completed by 2004. The aircraft entered full-rate production in 2005 and was officially named the F-22A in December 2005. The major USAF organizations that operate the F-22 are Air Education and Training Command, Air Combat Command, and Pacific Air Forces.