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[[Image:F-22_raptor.jpg|right|300px|thumb|F-22 Raptor]]

[[Image:F-22_raptor.jpg|right|300px|thumb|F-22 Raptor]]

The F-22 Raptor is a [[stealth]] fighter produced by [[Lockheed Martin]].  It is capable of air-to-air combat, ground attack, electronic warfare and signals detection.  It was originally developed to counter advances in technology in aircraft developed by the [[Soviet Union]] and replace the F-15 by incorporating the latest in stealth features and propulsion technology. The Raptor is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines that produce in excess of 30,000 pounds of thrust each and posess 2D [[Thrust Vectoring|thrust vectoring]] capabilities.  /they give the Raptor the unique ability to "supercruise" at [[supersonic]] speeds without the use of [[afterburner]]s as required by all previous turbojet designs. The craft has an internal armament bay which holds [[air-to-air missile]]s and can carry various small bombs internally or on hard-point attachments.

The F-22 Raptor is a [[stealth]] fighter produced by [[Lockheed Martin]].  It is capable of air-to-air combat, ground attack, electronic warfare and signals detection.  It was originally developed to counter advances in technology in aircraft developed by the [[Soviet Union]] and replace the F-15 by incorporating the latest in stealth features and propulsion technology. However, the extremely high unit cost of the aircraft has meant successive and substantial cuts to the number of F-22s to be built. At present only 183 F-22s will be built. This will necessitate keeping the F-15 fleet in service for the foreseeable future.

 

The Raptor is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines that produce in excess of 30,000 pounds of thrust each and posess 2D [[Thrust Vectoring|thrust vectoring]] capabilities.  /they give the Raptor the unique ability to "supercruise" at [[supersonic]] speeds without the use of [[afterburner]]s as required by all previous turbojet designs. The craft has an internal armament bay which holds [[air-to-air missile]]s and can carry various small bombs internally or on hard-point attachments.

The F-22 Raptor evolved from the YF-22 experimental design produced for the US Air Force's Advance Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition in which the Lockheed Martin design defeated the rival [[Northrup Grumman]] designed YF-23.

The F-22 Raptor evolved from the YF-22 experimental design produced for the US Air Force's Advance Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition in which the Lockheed Martin design defeated the rival [[Northrup Grumman]] designed YF-23.