Lockheed Martin Says Fighters Have Been Proven
The F-22 Raptor advanced fighter aircraft surpassed more than
50,000 total flight hours in August, according to Lockheed
Martin.
"The F-22 continues to demonstrate the field performance vital
to an operational weapon system," said Larry Lawson, Lockheed
Martin executive vice president and F-22 general manager. "The
fleet reliability measures are ahead of plan and the force-on-force
exercises have shown Raptors provide the capability to dominate
airspace today and in the future."
Pilots and crews at six US bases achieved this maturity level.
Operational, frontline Raptors are assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing
at Langley AFB in Virginia; the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman AFB,
NM; and the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. These units maintain
constant readiness supporting Air Combat and Pacific Air Force
Commands.
The Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, CA tests new
F-22 capabilities, most recently releasing a small diameter bomb at
supersonic speed for the first time. Nellis AFB in Nevada hosts two
F-22 missions, operational testing and tactics development, along
with Fighter Weapons School training -- the fighter pilot's "PHD"
course. Pilot and crew chief training is at Tyndall AFB, FL with
the first basic course students currently undergoing F-22
certification. Raptors will also be based at Hickam AFB,
Hawaii.
The warfighter has put the Raptor to the test since reaching
initial operational capability in 2005 and full operational
capability in 2007. F-22s have flown in multiple Red Flag events,
Northern Edge exercises, deployed to Kadena Air Base Japan,
Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam, and flown in the Royal
International Air Tattoo and the Farnborough Air Show. In all
exercises and demonstrations the Raptor's world-class capability
has been clearly established.
The Raptor's stealth, integrated avionics, maneuverability and
supercruise speed (1.5 times the speed of sound without
afterburner) give the F-22 "firstlook, firstshot, firstkill"
capability.
Lockheed says the F-22 -- as well as its upcoming F-35 --
deliver game changing 5th Generation capabilities designed to
defeat current and future threats. Representing a quantum leap in
air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities that provide an order of
magnitude increase in operational effectiveness over legacy
fighters, the F-22 and F-35 will dominate any foreseeable threat
environment and ensure joint and combined operational flexibility
for years to come.
The F-22 Raptor is built by Lockheed Martin teamed with Boeing
and Pratt & Whitney. Parts and subsystems are provided by
approximately 1,000 suppliers in 44 US states. Lockheed Martin has
delivered 127 Raptors to the US Air Force, against an order for 183
aircraft.