Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor flies over Kadena Air Base, Japan on a flight training mission
General information
Type	Air superiority fighter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
Status	In service
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	195 (8 test and 187 production aircraft)[N 1][1]
History
Manufactured	1996–2011
Introduction date	15 December 2005
First flight	7 September 1997; 27 years ago (1997-09-07)
Developed from	Lockheed YF-22
Developed into	Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA Lockheed Martin FB-22

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine, all-weather, supersonic stealth fighter aircraft. As a product of the United States Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, but also incorporates ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22 airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while program partner Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

First flown in 1997, the F-22 descended from the Lockheed YF-22 and was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Although the U.S. Air Force (USAF) had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs to replace its F-15 Eagles, it later scaled down to 381, and the program was ultimately cut to 195 aircraft — 187 of them operational models — in 2009 due to political opposition from high costs, a lack of air-to-air missions at the time of production, and the development of the more affordable and versatile F-35.^{[N 2]} The last aircraft was delivered in 2012.

The F-22 is a critical component of the USAF's current high-end tactical airpower. While it had a protracted development and initial operational difficulties, the aircraft became the service's leading platform for air-to-air missions against peer adversaries. Although designed for counter-air operations, the F-22 has also performed strike and electronic surveillance, including missions in the Middle East against the Islamic State and Assad-aligned forces. The F-22 is planned to remain a cornerstone of the USAF's fighter fleet until its succession by the crewed Next Generation Air Dominance fighter.

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