Cheers went up from the several hundred engineers, designers, team members, mechanics, and Air Force officials watching from the ramp—plus the 5,000 or so interested people looking on from behind the fence at the end of the runway—as Raptor 4001, the first F-22 air dominance fighter, took to the skies for the first time on 7 September 1997.

Vinny Devino, who had led the effort to refine the design of the Raptor from the prototype YF-22 to the production F-22A, said what many people were thinking: “The F-22 is flying. Everything else is now a target.” The first flight was the dawn of a completely new generation of fighter aircraft—one that is stealthy, maneuverable, and lethal.

A long road led to that Sunday morning flight in 1997. The US Air Force identified a requirement in 1981 for a new air superiority fighter to replace the F-15—which then had been in service for just seven years. The competitors in the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition were selected on Halloween in 1987. The YF-22 and YF-23 prototypes were flown in 1990, and the Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics team won the ATF contest in 1991.

After nearly 44,000 wind tunnel test hours, 13,000 material sample tests, six years of development, and a trio of program rephasings mandated by Congress, the F-22 was finally airborne.

Wearing his lucky Super Chicken T-shirt under his flight suit, chief test pilot Paul Metz pulled the Raptor’s nose up and quickly gained speed and altitude, even with the landing gear down. Jon Beesley, flying the safety chase aircraft, put his F-16 in afterburner to keep up with the Raptor.

After two circuits on a triangular route around north Georgia, Metz touched down fifty-eight minutes later. As he rolled up the taxiway, he turned the jet slightly, tapped the brakes, and the jet bowed to the appreciative crowd. The maiden flight was the first of 3,496 flights and 7,616 test hours to come in the F-22’s engineering and manufacturing development phase. The Air Force would declare the F-22 operational in 2005.

“The very existence of this airplane—your airplane—has altered the strategic landscape forever,” said Lockheed Martin CEO Robert J. Stevens. The date was May 2, 2012, and the occasion was the delivery of an F-22 Raptor to the U.S. Air Force. There was special significance attached to this aircraft. It was the last of 195 F-22s that Lockheed Martin had produced for the Air Force during the previous 15 years, and it represented the completion of the world’s only operational fifth generation stealth fighter fleet.

The single-seat, twin-engine fighter features a combination of capabilities that are nothing less than revolutionary. It can soar 10 miles high and fly at supersonic speeds for extended periods of time thanks to an unprecedented capability known as “supercruise,” which propels the jet to speeds greater than Mach 1.5 without the use of afterburners.

It can accelerate quickly and execute razor-sharp turns—even at high speeds. It carries weapons primarily for striking airborne targets, but the Raptor pilot can also attack ground targets from standoff ranges. . And it is equipped with stealth technology that enables it to operate virtually undetected by radar.

Assigned to seven U.S. Air Force bases, the F-22 fleet is ready to be rapidly deployed anywhere in the world it is needed. The Air Force has described the F-22 as “unmatched by any known or projected fighter.” The National Aeronautic Association awarded Lockheed Martin the 2006 Collier Trophy, American aviation’s most prestigious award, for “designing, testing and operating the revolutionary F-22 Raptor, providing total air dominance for America’s future.”

Учебни и изследователски 30 самолета+Oперативни(бойни) 154 самолетa= 184 самолетa от 195 летящи

http://www.afsec.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-150116-039.pdf

September 25, 2012 (by Matthew C. Bates) - Pratt & Whitney has delivered the 500th F119 engine, which powers the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, to the U.S. Air Force. This delivery is accompanied by another significant milestone for the F119 program – more than 20 years of simulated operational service through Accelerated Mission Tests (AMTs).

Operation and Deployment

Air Force units that operate the F-22 Raptor include:

• The 27th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia
• The 94th Fighter Squadron, JB Langley-Eustis, Virginia
• The 149th Fighter Squadron, Virginia Air National Guard
• The 19th Fighter Squadron, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
• The 199th Fighter Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard
• The 43rd Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida
• The 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida
• The 301st Fighter Squadron, Tyndall AFB, Florida
• The 90th Fighter Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
• The 302nd Fighter Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
• The 525th Fighter Squadron, JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
• The 433rd Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada

At the direction of then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Lockheed terminated F-22 production at its Marietta, Georgia, and Fort Worth, Texas, facilities after producing just 187 aircraft — far short of the original requirement for 749 jets. But in light of the growing perception that the US military is losing its technological edge to adversaries like Russia and China, Congress has expressed keen interest throughout this year’s budget season in restarting the line. The F-22 has also drawn attention recently from several high-profile deployments to Europe and the Middle East.

The House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee's markup for its section of the 2017 defense policy bill directs the Air Force secretary to conduct a study of the costs associated with procuring at least another 194 F-22s. The legislation would require a report on the study to the congressional defense committees no later than Jan. 1, 2017.

“In light of growing threats to U.S. air superiority as a result of adversaries closing the technology gap and increasing demand from allies and partners for high performance, multi-role aircraft to meet evolving and worsening global security threats, the committee believes that such proposals are worthy of further exploration,” according to the bill.

However, Air Force officials have consistently dubbed reviving the Raptor line as a nonstarter, citing the enormous cost of the project. A 2010 RAND study commissioned by the Air Force placed the cost to buy just 75 more F-22s at $17 billion in 2008 dollars.

For JSTARS, the 2017 budget request projects a delay of as much as six months in awarding the engineering and manufacturing development contract, shifting it to fiscal 2018 and at least a one-year delay in the initial operating capability, shifting it to 2024.

Because the Pentagon expects a shortfall of 10 JSTARS aircraft in its fleet of 16 operational aircraft by late fiscal 2025, the bill calls on the secretary of the Air Force to develop two plans to accelerate the JSTARS recapitalization program — to 2022 and 2023 — and to brief the committee by Dec. 1.

The bill also expressed disapproval of the Air Force’s efforts to increase the scope of work within the technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) phase, which was initiated late last year after the Pentagon approved “Milestone A.” The Air Force should instead pursue alternative radar technologies outside the program of record.

Because the procurement strategy relies on other nations to partner with the US, the F-35 joint program office, according to its chief, Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, is striving to build a “global sustainment enterprise.” He has cautioned the F-35 supply base may not be able to juggle the workload associated with production spikes and everyday maintenance.

The longest flying F-22 Raptor pilot in the world took his final flight on Friday and the 477th’s Cmdr. Col. David Piffarerio said it was a bittersweet way to end a job he always wanted to do.

“I’ve always loved fighters. I grew up around them. My dad was in the Air Force,” said Pifferario. “I went to the Air Force Academy and got to basically live my dream.”

He started his career 22 years ago flying F-15s.

“I’ve loved every flight since then, I really have,” said Pifferario. “Every time I strap into the cockpit I take a deep breath and really enjoy what I’m doing.”

The last 14 years have been spent flying F-22s. He spent more time in the cockpit of a Raptor than anyone else in the world — 1,540 hours. That’s a little over nine weeks total.

Piffarerio served at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for 12 years. During that time he took part in the alert mission, intercepting Russian aircraft that fly too close to Alaska air space.

On Friday, he spent one final hour in the sky.

“It was phenomenal. It was everything I could have ever asked for, dreamt of,” Piffarerio said.

He’s ready for a future with his feet on the ground. It’s a future that’s looking bright, thanks to support from his fighter group family. That family is the one thing Piffarerio says he’ll miss more than flight.

“It’s more than the aircraft, it’s the people,” he said. “It’s the relationships that you build with your maintenance, with your pilots, with everyone in your organization. That’s the part that I’m really going to miss.”

Piffarerio, his wife Jennifer and son Bryce are headed to Washington, DC where Piffarerio will attend the National War College.

 United Technologies Corp. - Pratt and Whitney, East Hartford, Connecticut, has been awarded a $313,879,396 modification (P00180) to previously awarded contract FA8611-08-C-2896 for sustainment of F119-PW-100 engines. Contractor will provide parts necessary for engine sustainment. Work will be performed at East Hartford, Connecticut; Edwards Air Force Base, California; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Hill AFB, Utah; Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Langley AFB, Virginia; Nellis AFB, Nevada; Sheppard AFB, Texas; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma and Tyndall AFB, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2017. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance; and research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $51,380,834 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8611-08-C-2896).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $14,903,066 modification (P00712) to previously awarded contract FA8611-08-C-2897 for F-22 sustainment trainer requirements. Contractor will provide training system sustainment, system hardware modifications, and distributed mission operations federation management and integration. Work will be performed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Tyndall AFB, Florida; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Sheppard AFB, Texas; and St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,571,582 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity.

MARIETTA, Ga., Feb. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin Corp. [NYSE: LMT] 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.

June 26, 2017

The United States Air Force is planning to keep the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor in service though 2060. To that end, the service is funding a series of upgrades that will keep the powerful fifth-generation air superiority relevant for decades to come. Indeed, the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2018 budget request is a down payment towards that goal.

“We plan to retain the F-22 until the 2060 timeframe, meaning a sustained effort is required to counter advancing threats that specifically target its capabilities. The FY18 budget includes 624.5 million dollars in RDT&E and $398.5 million in procurement towards this goal,” Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, military deputy to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, and Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, Air Force, deputy chief of staff for plans, programs and requirements, wrote in their written testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on June 7.

As Tom McIntyre, a program analyst for F-22 requirements at Air Combat Command, told me earlier today, while the year 2060 came as a surprise to the Raptor community, the airframe will be structurally sound until at least that time.

“That came somewhat as a surprise to us,” McIntyre said. “We were not expecting 2060, but the F-22 program has a very robust structural integrity program known as ASIP (aircraft structural integrity program).”

Robust Structure:

The Raptor’s airframe is incredibly robust due to the Air Force’s extreme requirements for the design during the closing years of the Cold War. Though the F-22 was designed with an 8000-hour airframe life, real life-flying experience shows that the jet can be safely flown without modifications out to 12,000 hours at the low-end and as many as 15,000 hours on the high-end.

“Way back in the late 80s and early 90s when we designed the F-22, we had about 10 design missions that we built the structure of the aircraft around,” McIntyre said.

“That’s what during EMD [engineering, manufacturing, development] we did the full scale testing on against those missions. We came to find out we have not been flying the Raptor nearly as hard as those design missions nor as what we found out during the structural testing, so actually the airframe itself—without any service life extension program—is good out to approximately 2060.”

Nor is corrosion a factor as has been the case on the U.S. Navy’s Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. Most of the issues that the Air Force found on the Raptor were related to galvanic corrosion due to the aircraft’s stealth material. But none of the corrosion was on the critical airframe structures of the aircraft, McIntyre noted. In any case, the Air Force is taking action—which is to replace a particular conductive stealth coating—to eliminate the corrosion problem on the Raptor.

“Those corrective actions are currently being done at the depot at Hill Air Force Base,” McIntyre said.

“We’re also adding modifications to avoid future corrosion and all of those mods should be completed about mid-2020.”

Tooling:

Moreover, the Air Force is auditing the Sierra Army Depot to make sure that the F-22 manufacturing tooling is secure—and thus far everything is in order. The audit is 85 percent complete and thus far all of the tooling has been found. Earlier, some Air Force officials had expressed concerns that the equipment had been misplaced—however, those concerns were unfounded as it turns out.

“When you store 40,000 tools in a bunch of Connexes, it’s probably like my garage, I know something is out in it, but it takes me a while sometimes to find it,” McIntyre said.

“They’ve found no issues with finding any of the tooling.”

As for restarting the F-22 production line, that is a non-starter for the Air Force.

“The Air Force has no plans to restart the F-22 production line because it wouldn’t make economic or operational sense to do so,” Maj. Carrie Kessler, a spokeswoman for Air Combat Command told me.

The Raptor in 2060

Given that the F-22 airframe will easily make it to 2060, the question is what can the Air Force do to keep the Raptor tactically relevant into the later part of the 21st Century? The Air Force does not yet have an answer to that question, but it does have a plan to keep the Raptor relevant to the 2030s.

“We don’t have a crystal ball that goes out to 2060,” McIntyre said.

“Our organization is working the requirements for the F-22 to keep it operationally relevant for obtaining and maintaining air superiority between now and 2030.”

Potential adversaries like Russia and China are designing measures to defeat the Raptor and American air superiority writ large. What might happen is that the F-22 would partner with the sixth-generation Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) in a teaming arrangement similar to today’s partnership between fourth and fifth-generation aircraft. The Raptor would take the place of the F-15C Eagle as the lower-tier of a high-low mix with the PCA forming the upper-tier.

“When the PCA comes online, it will be designed to operate and be interoperable with fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35,” McIntyre said.

“There will come a time whether it is 2030, 2040 or 2050 when the F-22 will be kind of like a fourth-generation aircraft today.”

Nonetheless, based on the threats the Air Force sees becoming operational in 2019-2020, the service is looking at planning future upgrades for the F-22—however those discussions are classified.

“Those are classified capabilities,” McIntyre said.