The US and Arab allies have launched strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. The attacks served as the first combat test for the F-22 Raptor aircraft, a new generation of advanced fighter jet that was commissioned decades ago. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine, all weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAFs Advanced Tactical Fighter program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities including ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor and is responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapon systems, and final assembly of the F-22, while program partner Boeing provides the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems. The Raptors combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness gives the aircraft unprecedented air-to-air capabilities. Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, former Chief of the Australian Defence Force, said in 2004 that the F-22 will be the most outstanding fighter plane ever built. The high cost of the aircraft, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile and lower cost F-35 led to the end of F-22 production. A final procurement tally of 187 operational production aircraft was established in 2009 and the last F-22 was delivered to the USAF in 2012. Read more - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor Wikipedia.org, BBC
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 05:28:45 +0000
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