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Mission

The F-22 is a multi-role air-superiority fighter with improved capability over current Air Force aircraft. From the inception of the battle, the F-22’s primary objective will be to establish air superiority through the conduct of counter-air operations. The F-22 also has significant air-to-surface capability.

Features

First look/first shot/first kill in all environments. A combination of improved sensor capability, integrated avionics, improved situational awareness, and improved weapons provides first-kill opportunity against the threat. The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite that allows the pilot to track, identify and shoot the threat before it detects the F-22. Significant advances in cockpit design and avionics fusion improve the pilot’s situational awareness. Advanced avionics technologies allow the F-22 sensors to gather, integrate and display essential information in the most useful format to the pilot.

Stealth. Advances in low-observable technologies provide significantly improved survivability and lethality against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. The F-22’s combination of reduced observability and supercruise accentuates the advantage of surprise in a tactical environment.

Supercruise. The F-22 engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine. This allows the F-22 to efficiently cruise at supersonic airspeeds without using afterburner, a characteristic known as supercruise. Supercruise greatly expands the F-22’s operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters, which must use afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds.

Increased maneuverability. The sophisticated F-22 aerodesign, advanced flight controls with thrust vectoring and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected threat aircraft. The F-22 design has been extensively tested and refined aerodynamically during the demonstration/validation process.

Improved combat radius on internal fuel. The F-22 uses low-drag internal weapons carriage and operates at high altitudes to provide air superiority deep into enemy territory at ranges superior to current-generation air-superiority aircraft.

Improved reliability and maintainability. To ensure operational flexibility, the F-22 has better reliability and maintainability than any military fighter in history. An F-22 squadron will require less than half as much airlift as an F-15 squadron to deploy. Increased F-22 reliability and maintainability pays off in less manpower required to fix the aircraft and the ability to operate more efficiently.

Increased lethality and survivability. The F-22's characteristics provide a synergistic effect that ensures F-22 lethality against an advanced air threat. The combination of stealth, integrated avionics and supercruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air engagement envelopes and minimizes enemy capabilities to engage and shoot at the F-22.

Air-to-surface capability. The F-22 has a secondary role to attack surface targets. The aircraft will be capable of carrying two 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support.

Background

The F-22 is an air-superiority fighter that incorporates the latest technological gains in reduced observables, avionics, engine performance and aerodynamic design. Knowledge gained from proven weapon systems such as the F-15, F-16 and F-117 formed the foundation for F-22 development.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Fighter, air-superiority.

Builder: Lockheed, Boeing.

Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles.

Thrust (each engine): 35,000-pound class.

Length: 62 feet, 1 inch (18.9 meters).

Height: 16 feet, 5 inches (5.0 meters).

Wingspan: 44 feet, 6 inches (13.6 meters).

Speed: Mach 2 class (approximately 1,500 miles per hour or 2,400 kilometers per hour at sea level).

Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet (approximately 15 kilometers).

Empty Weight: 40,000-pound class (approximately 18,000 kilograms).

Range: More than 2,000 miles (approximately 3,200 kilometers).

Armament: One M61A2 20-millimeter multibarrel cannon; internal stations can carry AIM-9 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles and AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles or 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions; external stations can carry additional stores.

Crew: F-22A: one. F-22B: two.

Initial Operational Capability (IOC): 2003.

Full Operational Capability: 2005.

Projected Inventory: Active: More than 300.

Above Information Courtesy of United States Air Force