The F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft produced by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin. A premier fifth-generation jet, the Raptor took its first flight on September 7, 1997 and entered service on December 15, 2005. The F-22, which is both low observable and supersonic, is operated exclusively by the United States Air Force and associated units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.
A highly versatile platform that can carry a broad range of weapons, the Raptor can perform a number of missions that includes air superiority, armed reconnaissance, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and close air support. The aircraft can also be fitted for electronic warfare purposes and a variety of intelligence collections missions. It has successfully completed a number of overseas deployments, including combat sorties in Syria and Afghanistan.
The F-22 Raptor features a design that optimizes both flight performance and radar cross section, making it a high speed, highly maneuverable, stealth machine. Its twin Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines are powerful enough to give the Raptor “supercruise” capability—supersonic flight without afterburner—and have thrust vectoring nozzles that can tilt as much as 20 degrees up and down, providing tremendous maneuverability.
The F-22 has a top speed in supercruise of 1,220 miles per hour, or Mach 1.82, and greater than Mach 2 with afterburners. It has a range of 1,800 miles and a g limit of +9 or -3.
An icon of technological mastery, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is any pilot’s dream. From within the ultra-advanced cockpit, aviators can perform maneuvers that defy the imagination. Each flight is an experience to be coveted, and one that will never be forgotten.
