the lockheed martin f-22 raptor is an american single seat twin engine all weather stealth
tactical fighter aircraft developed for the united states air force as the result of the usaf
advanced tactical fighter atf program the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter
but also has ground attack electronic warfare and signals intelligence capabilities the prime
contractor lockheed martin built most of the f-22's airframe and weapon systems and conducted
final assembly while boeing provided the wings app fuselage avionics integration and training systems
the aircraft was variously designated f-22 and f-slash at 22 before it formally entered
service in december 2005 as the f-22 despite its protracted development and
operational difficulties usaf considers the f-22 a critical component of its tactical air power
the fighter's combination of stealth aerodynamic
performance and mission systems enable unprecedented air combat capabilities
usaf had originally planned to buy a total of 750 atf in 2009. the program was cut to
187 operational aircraft due to high costs a lack of real error to air missions during the iraq war
and the war in afghanistan at the time the ban on exports and development of the more versatile f-35
with the last f-22 delivered in 2012
development in 1981 the u.s air force identified a requirement for an advanced tactical fighter
atf to replace the f-15 eagle and f-16 fighting falcon code named senior sky
this air superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging worldwide threats
including new developments in soviet air defense systems and the proliferation of
the sukhoi su-27 flanker and mkwane my g29 fulcrum class of fighter aircraft
production and procurement as a program moved to full-scale development or engineering and
manufacturing development indeed the production version had notable differences from the yf-22
despite having a similar configuration the wing's leading edge sweep angle was decreased from 48 to
42 deck while the vertical stabilizers were shifted rearward and decreased an area by 20
to improve pilot visibility the canopy was moved forward seven inches
18 centimeter and the engine intakes moved rearward 14 inches 36 centimeter the shapes
of the wing and stability trailing edges were refined to improve aerodynamics strength and
stealth characteristics the production airframe was designed with a service life of 8 000 hours
increasing weight during development costs slight reductions in range and maneuver performance
ban on export the f-22 cannot be exported under u.s federal law to protect its stealth
technology and classified features customers for us fighters are acquiring earlier designs such
as the f-15 eagle and f-16 fighting falcon or the newer f-35 lightning roma 2 which contains
technology from the f-22 but was designed to be cheaper more flexible and available for ex
in september 2006 congress upheld the ban on foreign f22 sales
despite the ban the 2010 defense authorization bill included provisions requiring the dude
to prepare a report on the costs and feasibility for an f-22 export variant
and another report on the effect of f-22 export sales on u.s aerospace industry
upgrades the f-22 modernization and upgrades consist of software hardware modifications
or tactical mandates captured under numbered increments as well as software only operational
flight program ofp updates the first aircraft with combat capable block 3.0 software flew in 2001.
increment 2 the first upgrade program was implemented in 2005 for block 20 aircraft onward
and enabled ground attack capability through the employment of joint direct attack munitions
jdem the improved and slash apg-77 v1 radar was certified in march 2007
and airframes from reduction line 5 onward were fitted with this radar
which incorporates air to ground modes increment 3.1 updates three and four for
block 30 aircraft onward provided improved ground attack capabilities through synthetic
aperture radar mapping and radio emitter direction finding electronic attack and small diameter bomb
sdb integration testing began in 2009 and the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in 2011.
you