F-22 RAPTOR
Introduction :
Lock Head Martin F-22 Raptor is a 5th Generation single-seat, twin-engine , all-weather stealth tactical fighter Currently In Use By American Air Force🇺🇸.
⭕Role : Stealth Fighter
⭕Origin : USA
⭕Manufacturer :Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
⭕Introduction : 15 Dec 2005
⭕Produced : Completely In USA
⭕Quantity : 187
⭕Unit cost : US$150 million
The F-22 Raptor Specifications :
⚫ Crew : 1
⚫Length : 19m
⚫Wind span : 13.5m
⚫ Height : 5.08m
⚫ Wing Area : 78m²
⚫Empty Weight :19,700kg
⚫Max Take Off Weight :38,000kg
⚫Internal Fuel Capacity :8,200kg
Performance
⚫ Max Speed :2,410 km/h
⚫ Combat Radius :850 km
⚫ Range : 2,900km
Operators :
The operator of Lock Head Martin F-22 Raptor is only United States Air Force 🇺🇸.
History :
In 1981, the Cold War consumed the attention of much of the American intelligence community.
Reports on the Soviet SU-27 Flanker and the MiG-29 Fulcrum convinced the USAF that the current generation of fighter jets, the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon, would not be able to keep up with the emerging technologies of the Soviets.
In 1986, Requests For Proposals were issued, and the team of Lockheed Martin/Boeing/General Dynamics was selected to complete the next generation of fighter jets.
In 1991, two prototypes were delivered. The YF-22 was chosen to be the next generation of the fighter plane for the United States. After a few changes, the jet’s official designation became F-22.
Acquiring adequate funding was an early problem for the F-22. To obtain sufficient congressional support, contractors in 46 states were ultimately used to produce the plane’s various parts and pieces. Later on, this led to cost increases and manufacturing delays.
Lockheed Martin had also decided to defer many of the aircraft’s initial capabilities into post-production upgrades. This made for a lower initial cost of the F-22 but dramatically increased the final production cost. Similar issues arose in the 2000s during the controversial creation of the F-35.
Also increasing the per-unit cost of the F-22 was its cutting-edge stealth technology and other high-tech features. With many American jets, the cost of manufacturing and developing new aircraft is deferred by assisting other countries to build their fleets.
Due to espionage concerns, the F-22 was banned from exports.
Development :
Total number of 195 F22 Raptors Are made till now. However 187 are for military use and 7 were made for testing. US is currently not producing any more F-22 Raptors.Production :
In 1981 the U.S. Air Force developed a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter ATF as a new air superiority fighter to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon.Lock Head Martin Aeronautics was signed the contract. The first F-22, an EMD aircraft named Raptor 4001, was unveiled at Marietta, Georgia, on 9 April 1997, and first flew on 7 September 1997.The USAF originally envisioned ordering 750 ATFs at a cost of $26.2 billion, with production beginning in 1994. The 1990 Major Aircraft Review led by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney reduced this to 648 aircraft beginning in 1996. By 1997, funding instability had further cut the total to 339, which was again reduced to 277 F-22s by 2003. In 2004, the Department of Defense further reduced this to 183 operational aircraft.
That year the program's total cost was projected to be $62 billion for 183 F-22s distributed to seven combat squadron.
PRODUCTION TERMINATION:
The F-22 program lost influential supporters in 2008 after the forced resignations of Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley.In April 2009, under the new Obama Administration, he called for ending F-22 production in fiscal year (FY) 2011, leaving the USAF with 187 production aircraft including 8 testing jets(Total 195).
Variants :-
YF-22A : pre-production technology demonstrator for ATF demonstration. Only 2 of them were built.
F-22A : a single seat production version, was designed in early 2000s
F-22B : a planned two seat variant but canceled in 1996 to save development costs.
Naval F-22 Variant : a carrier-borne variant of F-22 for use in U. S navy to replace Tomcat but was canceled in 1993.
Exports :
The F-22 could not be exported under American federal law to protect its features . Customers for U.S fighters were acquiring earlier designs such as F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcons or the newer F-35 Lightning II. In September 2006, Congress upheld the ban on foreign F-22 sales. Australia, Japan and Israel showed interest in buying F-22 but in 2009 it was reported that acquiring the F-22 would require increases to the defense budget beyond 1 percent of GDP.So F-35 was bought by these countries instead of F-22.
Airshow :
The F22 Raptor Has not taken part in any air show except one in 2015.
Stealth :
It’s the most stealthy operational aircraft in the entire world, with a RCS of less than 0.0001 square meter - less than that of a humming bird. (Although it’s exact RCS is classified)
Avionics :
There have been reports of USAF pilots unable to get a radar lock on F-22 despite being able to see it outside the canopy.
The F-22’s radar (APG-77) is specially designed to maintain it’s stealth characteristics. It is extremely difficult to intercept. What does it mean?
You will never know when a F-22 is watching you on his radar, has a lock & fired a missile–until the missile hits you.
The F-22 also has the most powerful Passive Radar (ALR-94) on an aircraft. It consists of over 30 antennas blended over the entire fuselage. To give a comparison, the F-35 has 10, Rafale - 3 & Eurofighter Typhoon - 2.
In certain cases, F-22’s passive radar can provide almost complete guidance to AIM-120D (BVR missile) to reach it’s target (without using it’s active radar at all!)
Performance :
It is the first operational aircraft to combine supercruise, supermaneuverability, stealth, and sensor fusion in a single weapons platform.
It can fly at Mach 1.8 – without using any afterburners!
A single Raptor during one of its first training sorties was able to kill 8 F-15s in a mock air-to-air engagement, all alone.
During exercise Noble Edge in Alaska in June 2006, few F-22s were able to down 108 adversaries with no losses, while during the 2007 edition of the same exercise, they brought their record to 144 simulated kills.
As reported by Dave Allport and Jon Lake in a story which appeared on Air Force Monthly magazine, during an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) in 2008, the F-22s scored 221 simulated kills without a single loss.
During exercise Noble Edge in Alaska in June 2006, few F-22s were able to down 108 adversaries with no losses, while during the 2007 edition of the same exercise, they brought their record to 144 simulated kills.
As reported by Dave Allport and Jon Lake in a story which appeared on Air Force Monthly magazine, during an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) in 2008, the F-22s scored 221 simulated kills without a single loss.
The Saying :
There’s a saying, “when F-22’s in combat, it’s not about whether you win or not – it’s about how long you can survive.”
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