The F-22 Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft. The last F-22 was delivered by Lockheed Martin in 2012. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor’s combination of stealth, supercruise and maneuverability represents an exponential leap in the advancement of fighter aircraft. In 2009, the programme was cut to 187 operational production aircraft due to high costs, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programmes, a ban on exports and development of the more versatile F-35. USAF had originally planned to buy 750 F-22s. US allies have expressed interest in purchasing F-22s, but laws prohibit its export. The F-22, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, made its combat debut in Syria in 2014 but has never shot down an enemy plane in combat. This is according to USAF’s chief of staff, General CQ Brown, who made the comments at a McAleese and Associates virtual conference. The four aircraft will include the currently in-development Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), as well as the F-35, F-15EX and F-16. The US Air Force intends to reduce its fighter jet fleet to just four types of planes. Brown, has said the NGAD fighter will have increased range and weapons load compared to the F-22, which will allow it to operate at the great distances required in the Indo-Pacific region. The F-22 fighter will eventually be replaced by the service’s next sixth generation jet, the centrepiece of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.
on a powerful F-22 combat enhancement program to increase the asymmetrical superiority of Raptor over current and potential enemies The ability of the Raptor F-22 remains important to prevent and defeat threats and ensure regional and global security in the future. If all options are utilised, work is expected to be completed by 31 st October 2031 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. With that in mind, Lockheed Martin is dedicated to working with the U.S. The work will be carried out at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics’ headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. This contract for Advanced Raptor Enhancement & Sustainment (ARES), includes modernisation hardware kit procurement and services such as upgrades, enhancements and fixes, as well as performance-based logistics services.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $10.9bn contract to modernise the US Air Force’s fleet of F-22 Raptors. The F-22A Raptor is an advanced tactical fighter aircraft developed for the US Air Force (USAF).