The F-22 Raptor is a US fighter jet that is prohibited from retail sale export by federal law, making it the US’s trump card in air superiority. It is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, with unique abilities such as supercruise and high maneuverability. The program to develop the F-22 began in 1986 and lasted approximately twenty years, with a total cost of $65 billion US and a unit cost of $137.5 million.
The F-22 Raptor is a very expensive and effective fighter jet that entered United States Air Force service in December 2005. Unlike other fighter aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II, the retail sale Export of the F-22 Raptor is prohibited by US federal law, making the F-22 Raptor the US trump card, granting it air superiority over every other country in the world, including China and Russia. The United States Air Force claims the F-22 is the most advanced and effective fighter aircraft in the world, unmatched by any fighter aircraft known or designed. It is classified by the US military as a fifth generation fighter jet and fourth generation stealth aircraft.
First, some basic specs about the aircraft. The F-22 Raptor is 62 feet 1 inch (18.90 m) long, with a wingspan of 44 feet 6 inches (13.56 m) and a height of 16 feet 8 inches (5.08 m). Its loaded weight is 64,460 pounds (29,300 kg). Propulsion is provided by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 Pitch Thrust vectoring turbofans, each delivering over 35,000 pounds of thrust (156+ kiloNewtons). The vessel has a maximum speed of Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h), with a cruising speed of Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h). With two external fuel tanks, the F-22 has a range of 1,840 mi (2,960 km). The vessel’s service ceiling is 65,000 feet (19,812 m), with a maximum g-load of -3 or +9. Armament is one M61A2 Vulcan Gatling gun, with eight medium-range air-to-air missiles, four Sidewinder missiles, with room for about a ton of conventional drop bombs.
The program to develop the F-22 began in 1986 and lasted approximately twenty years, with the fighter entering service in 2005. The F-22 is a collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and the total cost of the project was $65 billion US, with a unit cost of $137.5 million. Originally, 650 were expected to be ordered, but the high cost of the fighter caused the order to be downgraded to 183. The F-22 Raptor uses the most advanced technologies currently available, including advanced alloys and composite materials , higher power propulsion systems, advanced fly-by-wire flight control systems and low observable/stealth technology. Its 20 MW power plant is so powerful that the aircraft could become the first fighter aircraft to be equipped with directed-energy weapons, which would theoretically allow for an infinite number of shots.
The F-22 has a number of unique abilities that put it head and shoulders above any other fighter aircraft, some of which are classified. A superior feature is the aircraft’s ability to travel at supersonic speeds without the use of an afterburner, a feature called supercruise. The F-22 is highly maneuverable at any speed and is very resistant to starts, meaning the craft remains under control even when engaging in extreme maneuvers. The F-22 has a very high angle of attack, up to 60°, which allows it to swoop down on smaller fighters easily.
It seems likely that one day some country, probably the United States, will develop a more effective air superiority fighter than the F-22, but it seems that day may be a little far off.
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