Mission
The F/A-22’s primary mission is to establish absolute control of the skies over any battlefield – a must-have in modern warfare. It provides first-look, first-shot, first-kill capability. The F/A-22 is an air superiority fighter with much improved capability over current Air Force aircraft. Its stealth, supercruise ability, integrated avionics and other features will make it the most potent fighter in the world.

Features

The F/A-22 Raptor incorporates the latest technological gains in low observables, avionics, materials, engine performance and aerodynamic design. Knowledge gained from proven weapon systems such as the F-15, F-16 and F-117 formed the foundation for F/A-22 development.

First look/first shot/first kill in all environments: A combination of improved sensor capability, improved situational awareness and improved weapons provides first-kill opportunity against threats. The F/A-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite that allows the pilot to track, identify and shoot the threat before it detects the F/A-22. Significant effort is being placed on cockpit design and avionics fusion to improve the pilot's situational awareness. Advanced avionics technologies allow the F/A-22 sensors to gather, integrate and display essential information in the most useful format to the pilot.

Reduced observables: Advances in low-observable technologies provide significantly improved survivability and lethality against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats. The F/A-22's combination of reduced observability and supercruise accentuate the advantage of surprise in a tactical environment.

Supersonic persistence: The F/A-22's engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine, especially in military (non-afterburner) power. Called "supercruise," this characteristic allows the F/A-22 to efficiently cruise at supersonic airspeeds without using afterburners. This capability greatly expands the F/A-22's operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters that must use afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds.

Increased maneuverability: The F/A-22 has been extensively designed, tested and refined aerodynamically during the demonstration/validation (dem/val) phase and the current Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase. The F/A-22's sophisticated aero-design and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected threat aircraft. To ensure the F/A-22 provides air dominance for deep-interdiction aircraft, it operates at medium and high altitude at ranges superior to current generation air dominance aircraft.

Improved reliability and maintainability: To ensure operational flexibility, the F/A-22 has better reliability and maintainability than any military fighter in history. Increased F/A-22 reliability and maintainability pays off in less manpower required to fix the aircraft and consequently less airlift required to support a deployed squadron. Additionally, reduced maintenance support provides the benefit of reduced life-cycle cost and the ability to operate more efficiently from prepared or dispersed operating locations.

Increased lethality and survivability: The above characteristics provide a synergistic effect that ensures F/A-22 lethality against an advanced air threat. The combination of reduced observability and supercruise drastically shrinks surface-to-air engagement envelopes and minimizes threat capability to engage and shoot the F/A-22.

Air-to-surface capability: The F/A-22 has a secondary role to attack surface targets. The aircraft will be capable of carrying two 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support.

Engines: The F/A-22 will incorporate Pratt & Whitney's new F119 engine. Designed for efficient supersonic operation without afterburner use (supercruise), and with increased durability over today's engines, the F119 is a very high thrust-to-weight ratio engine. Advanced technologies in the F119 include integrated flight-propulsion controls and two-dimensional, thrust-vectoring engine nozzles.

Weapons: The F/A-22 is capable of carrying existing and planned air-to-air weapons. These include a full complement of medium-range missiles such as the AIM-120A advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM), and short-range missiles such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder. The F/A-22 also will have a modernized version of the proven M61 internal gun and growth provisions for other weapons. The aircraft also will be capable of carrying Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and other ground-attack weapons.

Background
Boeing is teamed with Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney and the U.S. Air Force to develop the F/A-22 Raptor as a replacement for the F-15. The fast, agile, stealthy F/A-22 will take over the air superiority role with Air Combat Command starting in 2005. The Air Force plans to procure 339 F/A-22s, and production is scheduled to run through 2013.

General Characteristics
F/A-22 Aft Fuselage Facts

• Boeing began major assembly of the aft, or rear, fuselage for the world's first F/A-22 air dominance fighter on June 17, 1996, at its Developmental Center in Seattle, Wash. Boeing began the process by loading the left-hand forward boom, a large component that contains fuel and carries structural loads, into the aft fuselage assembly fixture.
• The aft fuselage houses the two Pratt & Whitney-built F119 engines that power the F/A-22. It also contains all or part of the aircraft's environmental control system and fuel, electrical, hydraulic and engine subsystems.
• A completed aft fuselage weighs 5,000 pounds and measures 19 feet long by 12 feet wide.
• The aft fuselage is 67 percent titanium, 22 percent aluminum and 11 percent composite by weight.
• The aft fuselage was designed entirely on the three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) system called CATIA.
• The aft fuselage is designed to withstand supersonic speeds for extended periods of time and extremely "high-g" maneuvers.
• Approximately 25 percent (by weight) of the aft fuselage comprises large electron-beam welded titanium subassemblies called booms. The largest of these booms, the forward boom, spans more than 10 feet and weighs approximately 650 pounds.
• The welded booms of the aft fuselage are extremely weight-efficient and reduce the use of traditional fasteners by approximately 75 percent.
• Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas, is responsible for building the mid-fuselage section of the F/A-22. Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Ga., is responsible for the forward-fuselage section and for mating the three major fuselage components. Lockheed Martin is responsible for overall F/A-22 program management.

F/A-22 Wing Facts

• Boeing began assembly of the left-hand wing for the world's first F/A-22 air dominance fighter on January 17, 1996, when machinists loaded wing attachment parts for external fuel tanks and weapons pylons into an assembly tool.
• By weight, the Boeing-built portion of the wing is 42 percent titanium, 35 percent composite and 23 percent aluminum, steel and other materials in the form of fasteners, clips and other miscellaneous parts. Each wing weighs about 2,000 pounds.
• Each wing measures 16 feet (side-of-body) by 18 feet (leading edge).
• The wings were designed entirely on the three-dimensional CAD system called CATIA.
• The wings are designed to cruise at supersonic speeds for extended periods of time and withstand extremely "high-g" maneuvers.
• The wings incorporate structural design modifications made early in the development program. After analyzing the results of live-fire tests simulating severe combat damage, engineers chose to reinforce the wing by replacing every fourth composite spar with one made of titanium. The titanium reinforcements ensure that the F/A-22 will be more survivable in combat.
• The wings are designed to be interchangeable from airplane to airplane.
• Principal suppliers to Boeing on the wing include Dow-United Technologies of Wallingford, Conn. (composite sine-wave spars); Howmet of Norfolk, Va. (side-of-body rib and aileron support castings); Schlosser of Redmond, Ore. (pylon rib castings); and Curtiss Wright of Fairfield, N.J. (leading edge flap drive system).

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