In The News:
Overview
Boeing is teamed with Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney and the U.S. Air Force to produce the F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter. The Raptor's unique combination of stealth, speed, agility, precision and situational awareness make it overwhelmingly effective in its combined air-to-air and air-to-ground mission capability. In its expanding role as an ISR asset, the F-22 is making the entire joint force more effective by collecting timely information about the forward reaches of the battlespace and relaying it to other aircraft and command/control nodes. Ongoing modernization efforts -- including integration of the Small Diameter Bomb, electronic attack capability, synthetic aperture radar and the Coordinate Seeking Weapon -- will ensure the Raptor's relevance throughout its 40-year service life.
Recent Achievements
- The Air Force and F-22 industry team were awarded the 2006 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most distinguished honor in aviation, for designing, manufacturing, testing and operating the F-22 Raptor.
- F-22s demonstrated exceptional performance at joint training exercise Northern Edge in Alaska during June 2006. Raptors flew 97 percent of planned sorties, ensured air dominance by going undefeated against 144 adversaries, and enhanced the success of combat commanders by improving battlespace awareness for all aircraft.
- The 27th Fighter Squadron, based at Langley AFB, Va., completed the first overseas operational deployment of F-22s at Kadena Air Base, Japan, in May 2007.
- F-22s participated in the U.S. Air Force's Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nevada, for the first time in February 2007 with superb performance in air maneuvers as well as maintenance: 100 percent of planned sorties successfully generated.
- The Multiyear Procurement (MYP) contract approved by Congress in July 2007 for FY 07-09 allows for production of 60 Raptors at a savings of $411 million (according to a RAND study certified by the Secretary of Defense) while ensuring stability of production and improving cycle time.
- Five bases currently operate F-22s: Edwards AFB, Calif. (test); Nellis AFB, Nev. (weapons/tactics); Tyndall AFB, Fla. (pilot training); Langley AFB, Va. (operational); Elmendorf AFB, Alaska (operational).
- Future operational bases are scheduled for activation in 2008-09: Holloman AFB, N.M.; Hickam AFB, Hawaii.