Sun, Feb 05, 2017
Early Delivery Highlights Effective Air Force-Industry Partnership
Lockheed Martin has completed the first F-22 Raptor at the company's Inlet Coating Repair (ICR) Speedline facility and delivered the aircraft back to the U.S. Air Force ahead of schedule.

The U.S. Air Force contracted Lockheed Martin to establish the Speedline in Marietta, Georgia, in August 2016 and the first F-22 arrived there in early November. A second aircraft arrived in early December 2016 and a third in late January 2017. Lockheed Martin is on contract to perform this work on a total of 12 aircraft and a follow-on contract is anticipated. Additionally, Lockheed Martin is providing modification support services, analytical condition inspections, radar cross section turntable support and antenna calibration.
Periodic maintenance is required to maintain the special exterior coatings that contribute to the 5th Generation Raptor's Very Low Observable (VLO) radar cross-section. The increase in F-22 deployments, including ongoing operational combat missions, has increased the demand for ICR.
"The inlet coatings work, coupled with future improved Low Observable materials and repair improvements, is a critical part of increasing the 325th Fighter Wing's repair capacity and combat readiness," said Lt. Col. Argie Moore, deputy commander of the 325th Maintenance Group.
Lockheed Martin provides sustainment services to the F-22 fleet through a U.S. Air Force-awarded Performance Based Logistics contract and a comprehensive weapons management program called Follow-on Agile Sustainment for the Raptor (FASTeR). As the original equipment manufacturer and support integrator for the F-22 Raptor, Lockheed Martin works closely with the U.S. Air Force to integrate a total life-cycle systems management process to ensure the Raptor fleet is ready to perform its mission.
Lockheed Martin F-22 depot work is part of a public-private partnership agreement between the Air Force and Lockheed Martin that has been in place for nearly a decade.
(Image provided with Lockheed Martin news release)
More News
Its Offerings Are Lighter, Cleaner, and Now Pushing Past 1,000nm on SAF Jet Fuel DeltaHawk’s diesel-powered aircraft lineup has seen incredible upgrades over the last few yea>[...]
The Airplane Experienced A Total Loss Of Engine Power On December 3, 2025, about 1600 central standard time, a Mooney Aircraft Corp. M20K, N57229, was substantially damaged when it>[...]
Make Sure You NEVER Miss A New Story From Aero-News Network Do you ever feel like you never see posts from a certain person or page on Facebook or Instagram? Here’s how you c>[...]
Aero Linx: European Society of Aerospace Medicine (ESAM) As a pan-European, independent forum, it works to promote the safety and health of all persons involved in aviation and spa>[...]
“We are excited to see Wisk achieve this milestone, and I’m so proud of the team that made it possible. The team at Wisk has built advanced technologies across flight c>[...]