It will take over the role of the F-15C (air superiority) with the addition of air dominance. Its advanced technology in combination with stealth, supercruise, maneuverability and very advanced avionics make it the most modern fighter aircraft in the world. Supercruise means it can fly faster than the speed of sound without using its afterburner. The F-22 can reach speeds up to mach 1.5 without the afterburner. It is powered by 2 turbofan engines with afterburner (Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100) which can produce together more than 70.000 pounds. These are the most powerful operational combat aircraft engines in the world. The exact thrust is secret, which result also in an unknown maximum speed. The F-22 can perform air-to-air and air-to-surface missions with guided and unguided ammunitions.

Operators
The F-22 is only in service with the United States (Air Force).

Operator	Ordered	First delivery	Last delivery
United States	195	1997	2012

In November 2009, Lockheed-Martin reported that it had delivered the 147th F-22 Raptor to the US Air Force.


Technical
The F-22A Raptor can fly faster than the F-117 and be able to fly supersonic without using the afterburner. This takes care that he's a lot of more difficult to detect by enemy radar because they can't see the intense afterburner. He can also turn the engine vertical. The maximum height is about 15 Km. The F-22 costs are around the 225 million dollar, each aircraft.

Weapons
The F-22 raptor carries it's normal weaponload internal. This is a great advantage because it will not affect the aircraft's performance were it does by other fighter jet has. Where the F-117 could not fly supersonic the F-22 does, and also with the supercruise capacity. The internal weaponload required new technology for dropping systems when the F-22 flies supersonic and launches missiles or dropping bombs.

The F-22 Raptor can be equipped with air-to-air missiles (AIM-9 Sidewinders and AIM-120C (AMRAAM) and air-to-surface ammunitions (1000 pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)). For self-defence the F-22 has a 20mm Gatling gun board canon.

Specifications

General
Designation	F-22 Raptor (before F/A-22)
Prototype	YF-22
Project name	Advanced Tactical Fighter
Design organisation	Lockheed Martin
Main secundary design organisations	Boeing, Pratt & Whitney
Production organisation	Lockheed Martin, Marietta, Georgia, USA
Primary task	Air dominance
Type aircraft	5th generation stealth fighter jet
Specials	Supercruise
Length	62 ft. 1 in. (18.9 meters)
Height	16 ft. 8 in. (5.1 meters)
Wingspan	44 ft. 6 in. (13.6 meters)
Wing surface	78.04 square meters
Aspect ratio
Sweep back
Dihedral
Performance
Engines	2 Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with after burner and 2-dimensional thrust vectoring control nozzles
Thrust	> 35.000 pounds each engine
Weight (empty)	19.700 kgs
Weight (start, maximum, MTOW)	83,500 pounds (38.000 kgs)
Weight (landing, maximum, MLW)
Required runway length (start)
Required runway length (landing)
Cruise speed
Maximum speed	> Mach 2. Can fly > Mach 1.5 without using afterburner
Ceiling	> 15 km height
Maximum range	> 1600nm with 2 external fuel tanks
Fuel capacity	8200 kgs
Air-to-air-refueling capability	Yes
Passengers	none
Payload	none
Equipment
Armament	Possible combination of: - 1 standard M61A2 20mm boardcanon - AIM-9 Sidewinder - AIM-120 AMRAAM - GBU-32 JDAM - GBU-39 SDB
Maximum weapon load
Maximum G resistance	-3 / > +9
Radar	AN/APG-77 (AESA)
Sensors	AN/ALR-94
Avionics	AN/AAR-56
Type flight controls
Landing gear
Usage
Versions	F-22A
Manufactured	195 of which 8 for test purposes
Crew	1
Costs	120 million dollars
Overall flight hours
First flight	YF-22: 1990  F-22: 1997
First delivery
Operational since	december 2005
Successor of	F-15A, F-15C, F-117
Replaced by	n.a.
Comparable aircraft
Operators (current and future)	only United States Air Force
Main operators	United States Air Force (183x)
Amphibious usage	No
Status	out of production, in operational service

Photo's

2 F-22's	F-22	Right bank
Multiple F-22's	Take-off