F-22: Air Dominance Fighter
The F-22 Raptor is an air dominance fighter with muchhigher capability than current U.S. Air Force aircraft. Compared with the F-15 it isdesigned to replace, the aircraft has higher speed and longer range, greater agility,enhanced offensive and defensive avionics, and reduced observability. Furthermore, boththe air vehicle and the engine designs emphasize reliability and maintainability ofsystems, and are the result of a team approach called Integrated Product Development.
F-22: Air Dominance Fighter
The F-22 can carry medium and short-range air-to-air missiles in internal bays, and hasan in internal 20-mm cannon and provisions for carrying precision ground attack weapons.Pilots will have a "first-look, first-shot, first-kill" capability because ofthe Raptor's stealth properties and advanced sensors. In addition, the avionics suite is ahighly integrated system that will allow the pilot to concentrate on the mission, ratherthan on managing the sensors as in current fighters.
Traditional aircraft materials such as aluminum and steel make up about 20% of the F-22structure by weight. Its high-performance capabilities require significant amounts oftitanium (42% of all structural materials by weight) and composite materials (24% byweight). These are stronger and lighter than traditional materials, and offer betterprotection against corrosion. Titanium also offers tolerance to higher temperatures. Infact, titanium accounts for a larger percentage of the structural weight on the F-22 thanany other current U.S. fighter.
The F-22 continues a tradition of U.S. Air Force aircraft, particularly fighters and attack aircraft, that dates back to the Curtiss Hawks of the 1920s, and continues to the current F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
RTM is used to fabricate more than 400 parts of the F-22 structure, ranging from inletlip edges to load-bearing sine-wave spars in the fighter wings. At Boeing, RTM has reducedthe cost of wing spars by 20%, and has cut in half the number of reinforcement partsneeded for in stalling the spars in the wings. Both bismaleimide and epoxy parts arefabricated by RTM.
The F119 has 40% fewer major parts than current fighter engines, and each part is moredurable and does its job more efficiently. Computational fluid dynamics-airflow analyzedthrough advanced computers-led to the design of engine turbomachinery of unprecedentedefficiency, giving the F119 more thrust with fewer turbine stages.
In fact, the F119-PW-100 engine develops more than twice the thrust of current enginesunder supersonic conditions, and more thrust without afterburner than conventional engineswith afterburner. Each F-22 will be powered by two of these 35,000-pound-thrust-classengines. By comparison, the engines powering the Air Force F-15 and F-16 fighters havethrust ratings ranging from 23,000 to 29,000 pounds.
Jet engines deliver additional thrust by directly injecting fuel at the engine exhaust.The process, called afterburner, gives the aircraft a rocket-like boost as the fuelignites in the exhaust chamber. The tradeoff is higher fuel consumption, a greater amountof heat, and consequently, greater visibility to the enemy. However, the F119 engine canpush the F-22 to supersonic speeds above Mach 1.4 even without firing the afterburner,which gives the fighter a greater operating range and allows for stealthier flightoperation.
The F-22 program is developing the next-generation air superiority fighter for the AirForce to counter emerging worldwide threats. It is designed to penetrate enemy airspaceand achieve a first-look, first-kill capability against multiple targets. The F-22 ischaracterized by a low-observable, highly maneuverable airframe; advanced integratedavionics; and aerodynamic performance allowing supersonic cruise without afterburner.
For its primary air-to-air role, the F-22 will carry sixAIM-120C and two AIM-9 missiles. For its air-to-ground role, the F-22 can internally carrytwo 1,000 pound-class Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), two AIM-120C, and two AIM-9missiles. With the Global Positioning System-guided JDAM, the F-22 will have an adverse weather capability to supplement the F-117 (and later the Joint Strike Fighter)for air-to-ground missions after achieving air dominance.
The F-22 Raptor is one of the newest fighters in the U.S. Air Force fleet. It offers a combination of stealth, speed, maneuverability, and robust warfighting capabilities. A suite of sensors and highly-lethal weapons guarantee air dominance, supporting the mission at hand.
In the mid-1990s, Boeing teamed with Lockheed Martin to develop and build the F-22, an extremely advanced tactical fighter that combined stealth, integrated avionics and maneuverability. The F-22 was intended as replacement for the F-15 as America's front-line dominance fighter.
The US Air Force goal is to fly 381 aircraft, but the current program, reflected by the Quadrennial Defense Review includes only 183 on contract. 105 Raptors have completed final assembly at the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga. Deliveries to the Air Force total 99 F-22s so far. Raptors are delivered at a rate of approximately one every six weeks. On November 12, 2009 the Pentagon approved $40 funding for four additional aircraft, under a $140 million budget approved by the US Congress to fund long-lead material for 20 additional aircraft. Decision whether to release the remaining budget is expected after the new administration is established, in January or February 2009. According to Aviation Week, initial indications from the new administrations hint on continued support for the Raptor program. Anticipating a potential cut in the near term, the USAF could negotiate reducing the total procurement to 250-275 Raptors. The Air force considers offsetting the decrease in numers by reducing aircraft deployed with each squadron from 24 to 18, allowing the Air Force to sustain seven fighter squadrons.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, is flanked by an F-16 Fighting Falcon and a Republic of Korea air force F-15 Slam Eagle at Osan Air Base, ROK, Feb. 17,2016. The Raptor was part of a flyover formation of 12 aircraft demonstrating the strength of the ROK/U.S. alliance in response to recent provocative actions by North Korea. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Grimm/Released)
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, conducted a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. Four Raptors were joined by four F-15 Slam Eagles and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Grimm/Released)
Four U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, conducted a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. The Raptors were joined by four F-15 Slam Eagles and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amber Grimm/Released)
Four U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, conducted a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. The Raptors were joined by four F-15 Slam Eagles and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Song, Kyong Hwan/Released)
An Air Force Security Forces member stands guard next to an F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, after it conducted a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. It was joined by three other Raptors, four F-15 Slam Eagles and four U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Travis Edwards/Released)
Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea air force Gen. Jeong, Kyeong-doo (middle) receives a translated briefing from an F-22 Raptor pilot after conducting a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. F-22 Raptors were joined by four F-15 Slam Eagles and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Travis Edwards/Released)
Air Force Security Forces members stands guard next to an F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, after it conducted a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. It was joined by three other Raptors, four F-15 Slam Eagles and four U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Travis Edwards/Released)
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, lands after conducting a flyover in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to recent provocative action by North Korea Feb. 17, 2016. Four Raptors were joined by four F-15 Slam Eagles and U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-22 is designed to project air dominance rapidly and at great distances and currently cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Travis Edwards/Released) 041b061a72