On Sunday September 7, 1997, the F-22 EMD aircraft took it’s long anticipated first flight. The idea for the F-22 had taken root some 15 years prior to that initial trip, when it became evident that the US Air Force needed to fill the gap to replace the F-15. Prototypes, YF-22 and YF-23 were flown in 1990, and the road to 1997 was set.

Throughout the 90’s, the plane was assembled piece by piece. Fabrication for the first part of the flyable F-22 started in 1993.

Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor, in charge of most of the fuselage, weapons units, and final product assembly. While they are rightfully credited for their development work on the F-22, Boeing was also instrumental in the final product.
Wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems were all contributions from Boeing. Despite the many positives brought about by varying producers, some argue that this likely contributed to cost hikes and delays in the final product.

One of the more advanced cockpits in modern military aircraft, the F-22 is as high tech as it is cramped. It includes a monochrome head-up display, as well as a keypad system for entering communications and autopilot data, but only has space for one pilot.
Only the best can operate this beast, as a pilot has no co-pilot for recourse. The trick would be to process and analyze the extensive technical data being fed through the aircraft’s instruments.

In July of that year, a U.S.-led coalition against ISIS began dropping bombs on targets within Syria and Iraq. A couple months later, the military enlisted the help of the F-22 to help ensure the safety of other aircraft involved in the air strikes.
The role of the Raptor was to escort the strike packages within the target area, as well as gathering details about the enemy systems.

With an estimated $34 billion spent to procure the final product, F-22’s would cost an estimated $339 million per aircraft, with a cost of around $150 per each additional unit. The total program cost for the F-22’s is around $66 billion.
Because of the hefty price tag, there was a debate throughout the early 2000’s as to whether this was a viable program to complete. Staunch opposition came from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, as well as Senator John McCain. Nevertheless, Congress decided to continue the F-22’s production in 2008 by way of a new spending bill.

Only a small handful of incidents have occurred. The first involved a YF-22 crashing at Edwards AFB during testing. Then an F-22 suffered its first accident happened during takeoff at Nellis AFB in Nevada in 2004, causing the pilot to have to eject to safety.
An engine shutdown prior to the flight caused a flight-control system malfunction, which was soon rectified via a change in aircraft design.

All things end well when you wear a lucky t-shirt. Underneath his flight suit, chief test pilot Paul Metz wore a Super Chicken t-shirt before taking to the skies with his F-22 for the initial test flight.
The cartoon show Super Chicken aired beginning in 1967 on ABC, and was along the same ilk of Rocky & Bullwinkle. Not sure how a superhero chicken relates to piloting a supersonic aircraft, but whatever works.

The jet fighter was created with the intention of lasting some 30+ years and with the ability to amass 8,000 flight hours. Sound like a long time? They are merely scratching the surface.
By 2030, the goal is to have a sixth generation jet fighter ready to roll out with even a longer lifespan. The bottom line? Expect the aircraft to get faster and even more durable in the years to come.

It’s no exaggeration that the F-22’s stealth capability makes in nearly invisible. For radar viewers, it’s image is no larger than a bumblebee.
This obviously presents a huge advantage for the F-22 pilot who has a 360 degree view of the battlefield surrounding his aircraft, while he remains virtually undetectable.

The weapons supplies don’t deviate a great deal from air to ground combat. Both entail multiple AIM-120C air-to-air missiles as well as Sidewinder missiles.
Once the aircraft enters its battle space, the on-board sensors begin collecting the necessary intelligence to determine where and when to unload the ammo.

The active electronically scanned array radars aim their beam by emitting multiple radio waves. F-22’s use the technology to collect valuable data about the enemy, and can ostensibly share the picture with fellow attack planes.
This was utilized in the air strikes on ISIS following the burning alive of pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh. He was captured on Christmas Eve of 2014.

A carrier version of the F-22 included variable-sweep wings for the U.S. Navy’s Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter program. It would have replaced the F-14 Tomcat.
The undertaking was canceled in 1993, deemed impractical. Nevertheless, it was the deciding factor for Donald Rice’s decision to go with the YF-22 over the YF-23.

In 2009, the F-22 crashed a few miles northeast of Edwards AFB during a test flight, causing test pilot David P. Cooley to perish. There were no structural errors at play, just a loss of consciousness by the pilot.
The following year, there was another incident culminating in the death of a pilot. It was attributed to a bleed air system malfunction after an engine overheat condition was found. Then in 2012, an F-22 crashed east of Tyndall AFB, with the pilot ejecting safely.

At the start of July 2015, the F-22 Raptor jets had flown 204 sorties out of the 44,000 launched by the U.S. They had dropped 270 bombs on targets located in 60 of the 7,900 locations hit by the other aircraft supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
The Raptors acted as escorts for striking packages into and out of the target area. They gathered details about the enemy’s systems and spread intelligence to other “networked” assets.

In 2006, the Raptor had proven extremely effective against the outdated F-15s. During training sessions, it maintained a kill ratio of 108:0. This is exponentially more impressive than that of the F-15 against the F-5 during the 1970’s and 1980’s.
A combination of vectored thrust, range, and stealth capability places it within a class of its own when it comes to the world’s strongest combat aircraft.

The ability to cruise at supersonic speeds while being fully loaded with weapons is a privilege not a right, but the F-22 fits the bill perfectly.
While supercruising, it doesn’t need the use of fuel-inefficient afterburners, and it can easily intercept targets which subsonic aircraft would not be able to pursue. The F-22 contains amounts of high strength materials enabling it to withstand stress.

Thrust vectoring allows tighter and more sustainable turns at high-g forces. It allows the aircraft to perform stall maneuvers that don’t literally stall the plane.
This supermaneuverability, combined with an exquisite radar system, enables the F-22 to close in quickly on the bad guys.

Detractors criticize the F-22 for its lacking of ‘qualified weapons.’ Outside of the aforementioned Sidewinder, medium range missiles, and JDAM family of bombs, the aircraft has yet to be integrated with new weaponry.
An incorporation of the GBU-54 laser JDAM and GBU-53 Small Diameter Bomb II would add independent attack capability against a variety of moving targets.

Rumsfeld was twice the U.S. Secretary of Defense. His first stint was under President Gerald Ford until 1977, about four years prior to the initial requirement for the F-22.
He returned to the post under President George W. Bush in 2001, four years after the F-22’s first test flight. Coincidence? Probably.

Criticism of the jet stems largely from the fact that it is so expensive and lacks the systems to engage with fleeting targets.
Modern counter-insurgency warfare is dominated by aircraft with built-in optics and laser targeting that is found in attack helicopters, the F-35, and UAVs.

Criticism of the jet stems largely from the fact that it is so expensive and lacks the systems to engage with fleeting targets.
Modern counter-insurgency warfare is dominated by aircraft with built-in optics and laser targeting that is found in attack helicopters, the F-35, and UAVs.

Detractors often compare it to the Me-262, which was the world’s first production jet fighter. The Me-262 had the kind of unparalleled performance for its era that the F-22 has today.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a compliment. Of the approximately 200 Me-262s produced, nearly all were taken out of the sky during World War 2. So the question presented here is are the F-22’s worth it?

The military has been talking for awhile about procuring more light attack fighter aircraft that could be catalysts for America’s ongoing counter-terrorism campaigns. With General Holmes now in command, he’s already echoing this sentiment.
In September 2016 he stated, “We don’t think it would cost a lot of money, and it’s designed just to help us get our arms around, ‘What can you actually do? Does it actually contribute? Can it survive in different threat environments?’

Part of the problem is that there’s currently a shortage in fighter pilots. In September 2015 the Air Force Chief of Staff directed a fighter enterprise redesign to develop a strategy and implementation plan to guarantee the Air Force has a more sufficient pilot force.
The past 25 years have seen too much continuous combat operations have hampered the fighter community resulting in losses of fighter pilots that have exceeded the Air Force’s annual production capacity.

Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements says, “We focus on fighter pilots, but it’s not just [them]. We have a national pilot crisis…
There’s a lot of infrastructure associated with it and the problem becomes complicated as you consider how to man to the increased capacity that we want to build.”
Much of the problem with finding Air Force pilots stems from competition in other sectors.

Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements says, “We focus on fighter pilots, but it’s not just [them]. We have a national pilot crisis…
There’s a lot of infrastructure associated with it and the problem becomes complicated as you consider how to man to the increased capacity that we want to build.”
Much of the problem with finding Air Force pilots stems from competition in other sectors.

The pipeline of Air Force pilots going into the commercial ranks continues to exist each year. As the previous generation of pilots start to retire, the airlines are looking at hiring anywhere from 15,000-20,000 new pilots.
The Air Force, which currently has around 13,000 veteran pilots will provide a harvesting ground for these positions. Additionally, maintainers and drone pilots are being sought by these carriers. Where does that leave the military?

The Air Force simply can’t match the salaries, benefits and job security offered by commercial carriers.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.Mark Walsh laments, “You’re going to find that military pilots will be a focal point of this recruiting. Every time the airlines have recruited heavily in the past, we’ve lost more people… They’ve been deploying, and deploying, and deploying. After a while your family gets a little tired of that.”

A recent study projects major airlines will hire an average of 2,000 pilots per year over the next decade, including upward of 5,000 per year beginning in 2022.
By the end of an Air Force pilot’s service requirement, they will likely have met the 1,500 hour requirement for landing a co-pilot job.
Now let’s look at the pay comparison between Air Force and private sector pilot jobs.

In order to compete with the glamour of the airline industry, the Air Force has had to increase its retention bonuses. Annual installments are now between $10,000 and $25,000 for anywhere from five to nine years of work. Multiple this out and you’re looking at between $50,000 and $225,000 total.
To sweeten the pot, the Air Force is offering Aviator Retention Pay to drone pilots for the first time in addition to fighter jet pilots.
While all this is nice, there’s something else the Air Force offers that simply can’t be rivaled by a commercial airline. Adrenaline.

I’ve sat down with many commercial pilots who were former Air Force pilots and they always echo the same feelings. While they enjoy the steady paycheck they get with the airlines, it pales in comparison to the adrenaline and constant demands they faced while in the service.
There is no way that the airlines can match this level of adrenaline, and frankly, it would be bad if they did.
Now that we’re talking about adrenaline, let’s jumpback to the F-22 for a second.

Pilots who go commercial are missing out on one-of-a-kind adventures like this…
Back in March 2013, an American drone was hovering in international airspace near Iran, conducting a routine surveillance trip over the Persian Gulf. As is standard for these flights, an F-22 was providing escort service in case of trouble, especially since a pair of Iranian Sukhoi Su-25 attack planes had tried shooting down another drone recently.
Piloting the Raptor that day was Lt. Col. Kevin “Showtime” Sutterfield, and his story is amazing.

On this day in March 2013, Air Force Reservist “Showtime” Sutterfield showed up to dominate the situation. In the distance, he spotted an enemy plane approaching the drone, leaving him no other option but to engage.
It was an Iranian F-4 flying within 16 miles of the drone. This couldn’t be tolerated. Sutterfield then did something very dangerous, but necessary. He flew underneath the enemy aircraft to inspect its weapons load, then flew next to it to relay his message.

Sutterfield’s words to the Iranian pilot were concise. “You really ought to go home.”
It worked, and the positive press from the event will likely encourage the government to launch more F-22’s specifically for these ‘escorting’ situations. However, it also requires a skilled pilot, and very few are at the level of Lt. Col. “Showtime.”

Sutterfield’s words to the Iranian pilot were concise. “You really ought to go home.”
It worked, and the positive press from the event will likely encourage the

government to launch more F-22’s specifically for these ‘escorting’ situations. However, it also requires a skilled pilot, and very few are at the level of Lt. Col. “Showtime.”

After the hesitation from Secretary of Defense Gates, F-22s were officially deployed to the Middle East in 2009, at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
In April 2012, about a year before “Showtime’s encounter, F-22’s had been rotating into Al Dhafra Air Base-about 200 miles from the Iranian border.

In 2004, F-22 aircraft were available for missions 62% of the time. By 2009, it was up to 70% of the time. Sadly, in 2015 it’s gone back down to 63%.
Two issues being associated with the F-22’s use on so many missions are cost and maintenance.

In 2004, F-22 aircraft were available for missions 62% of the time. By 2009, it was up to 70% of the time. Sadly, in 2015 it’s gone back down to 63%.
Two issues being associated with the F-22’s use on so many missions are cost and maintenance.

The world’s most advanced fighter jet is an expensive ticket. Its total cost per flight hour is $44,000.
The aircraft’s price per unit is $339 million while the entire program costs $62 billion.

Did you think the maintenance on these beasts would be cheap? If so, you thought wrong. In the early days, the F-22 Raptor required more than 30 hours of maintenance per hour in flight. That number has since been trimmed down to 18.1 hours in 2008, and 10.5 in 2009.

The F-22 initially had a Mean Time Between Maintenance of about 1.7 hours, which fell short of the required 3.0. In 2012, this figure rose to 3.2 hours.
To reduce operating costs and help extend the F-22’s service life, some pilot training exercises are conducted using flight simulators. Meanwhile the T-38 Talon is used as a stand-in for adversary training.

To reduce operating costs and help extend the F-22’s service life, some pilot training exercises are conducted using flight simulators. Meanwhile the T-38 Talon is used as a stand-in for adversary training.

In late 2012, Lockheed Martin was granted the necessary contracts to install a supplemental automatic oxygen backup system. This would serve in addition to the primary and manual backup systems already in place.

Just a few months earlier, long distance flights on the F-22 had to be flown at low altitudes until the necessary corrections were made. Thankfully the improvements were made and the fighter jet is able to own the skies yet again.

In late 2014, the U.S. Air Force began testing a rapid deployment concept. Four F-22s and one C-17 were summoned for support with the goal of setting up and engaging in combat within 24 hours.
Four F-22s were deployed to Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany in August, and Lask Air Base in Poland and Amari Air Base in Estonia in September 2015 to train with NATO allies.

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22's airframe and weapons systems and did its final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. After a protracted development and despite operational issues, the USAF considers the F-22 critical to its tactical air power, and says that the aircraft is unmatched by any known or projected fighter. The Raptor's combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness gives the aircraft unprecedented air combat capabilities.