F/A-22 RAPTOR NEARS INITIAL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY

Flight Journal, Apr 2005 by Pace, Steve

Hot off the wire from the world of flight

ON OCTOBER 27, 2004, Lockheed Martin rolled out Raptor 4041 from its final assembly facility in Marietta, Georgia. It is scheduled to arrive at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, early in 2005 as the first operational, combatready F/A-22. It is assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Wing, and will be joined by a number of additional combat-ready Raptors. In December 2005, the F/A-22 Raptor is expected to meet its initial operational capability.

Raptors are already being flown by USAF pilots at Edwards, Nellis and Tyndall Air Force Bases in California, Nevada and Florida, respectively. They are being used for pilot training, tactics and testing to support the growing fleet, which is expected to enter high-rate production with lot 6 (26 F/A-22s) during 2006. There are 74 production F/A-22s on order with 50 more to be built through 2006. Lockheed Martin delivered 28 Raptors to the USAF primarily for Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E).

The USAF has a requirement for at least 381 F/A-22 Raptors, which will initially supplement and eventually replace the F-15C Eagle, arguably now the world's best air superiority fighter.

With its two afterburning 40,000-pound-thrust Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofanjet engines and the supercruise feature, the F/A-22 can fly supersonically without the use of afterburners. The Raptor is more agile, maneuverable and stealthy than any fighter in the world today and will be for years to come.

-Steve Pace