Function Air superiority fighter Contractors Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems : F-22 program management, the
integrated forebody (nose section) and forward fuselage (including the cockpit and inlets), leading edges of the wings,
the fins and stabilators, flaps, ailerons, landing gear and final assembly of the aircraft. Lockheed Martin Tactical
Aircraft Systems: Center fuselage, stores management, integrated navigation and electronic warfare systems (INEWS), the
communications, navigation, and identification (CNI) system, and the weapon support system. Boeing: wings, aft fuselage
(including the structures necessary for engine and nozzle installation), radar system development and testing, avionics
integration, the training system, and flight-test development and management. Pratt & Whitney: F119-PW-100 engines that
power the Raptor. Major Subcontractors (partial list): Northrop Grumman, Texas Instruments, Kidde-Graviner Ltd.,
Allied-Signal Aerospace, Hughes Radar Systems, Harris, Fairchild Defense, GEC Avionics, Lockheed Sanders, Kaiser
Electronics, Digital Equipment Corp., Rosemount Aerospace, Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems, Dowty Decoto, EDO Corp., Lear
Astronics Corp., Parker-Hannifin Corp., Simmonds Precision, Sterer Engineering, TRW, XAR, Motorola, Hamilton Standard,
Sanders/GE Joint Venture, Menasco Aerospace. Propulsion two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines Thrust 35,000 lbst Length
62.08 feet, 18.90 meters Height 16.67 feet, 5.08 meters Wingspan 44.5 feet, 13.56 meters Wing Area 840 square feet
Horizontal Tailspan 29 feet, 8.84 meters Maximum Takeoff Weight Ceiling Speed Mach 1.8 (supercruise : Mach 1.5) Crew one
Armament Two AIM-9 Sidewinders six AIM-120C Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) one 20 mm Gatling gun two
1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) First flight : September 7, 1997 Date Deployed deliveries beginning in
2002 operational by 2004.
The F/A-22 Raptor advanced tactical fighter aircraft is being developed for service with the US Air Force from the year
2005. The USAF requirement is for a fighter to replace the F-15, with emphasis on agility, stealth and range. By 1990
Lockheed Martin, teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics, had built and flown the demonstration prototype aircraft,
designated YF-22. The first F-22 fighter aircraft was unveiled in April 1997 and was given the name Raptor. In September
2002, the USAF decided to redesignate the aircraft F/A-22 to reflect its multi-mission capability in ground attack as well
as air-to-air roles. The decision to proceed to low-rate initial production (LRIP) was authorised in August 2001 and
Lockheed Martin has delivered 27 aircraft under LRIP contracts. Initial Operational Test and Evaluation began in April
2004 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2004. The F/A-22 is planned to achieve initial operating capability
by December 2005 and to enter full rate production of 90 aircraft per year in 2006. The USAF has a total requirement of
381 aircraft and the first operational wing of F/A-22 Raptors will be based at Langley AFB in Virginia, eventually
replacing F-15 Eagle aircraft. During flight tests, the F/A-22 has demonstrated the ability to 'supercruise', flying at
sustained speeds of over Mach 1.5 without the use of afterburner.
Design...
The F/A-22 construction is 39% titanium, 24% composite, 16% aluminium and 1% thermoplastic by weight. Titanium is used for
its high strength-to-weight ratio in critical stress areas, including some of the bulkheads, and also for its
heat-resistant qualities in the hot sections of the aircraft. Carbon fibre composites have been used for the fuselage
frame, the doors, intermediate spars on the wings, and for the honeycomb sandwich construction skin panels.
Cockpit...
The cockpit is fitted with hands-on throttle and stick control (HOTAS). The cockpit has six color liquid crystal displays.
The Kaiser Electronics Projection Primary Multifunction Display provides a plan view of the air and ground tactical
situation including threat identity, threat priority and tracking information. Two displays provide communication,
navigation, identification and flight information. Three secondary displays show air and ground threats, stores management
and air threat information. A BAE SYSTEMS head-up display (HUD) shows target status, weapon status, weapon envelopes and
shoot cues. A video camera records data on the HUD for post-mission analysis.
Weapons...
A variant of the M61A2 Vulcan cannon is installed internally above the right air intake. The General Dynamics Linkless
Ammunition Handling System holds 480 rounds of 20mm ammunition and feeds the gun at a rate of 100 rounds per second. The
F-22 has four hardpoints on the wings, each rated to carry 2,270kg, which can carry AIM-120A AMRAAM or external fuel tanks.
The Raptor has three internal weapon bays. The main weapons bay can carry six AMRAAM AIM-120C missiles or two AMRAAM and
two 1,000lb GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). The bay is fitted with the EDO Corp. LAU-142/A AVEL AMRAAM Vertical
Ejection Launcher which is a pneumatic-ejection system controlled by the stores management system. Raytheon AMRAAM
air-to-air missile is an all-weather short to medium range radar-guided fire and forget missile, with a range of 50 nm.
The side bays can each be loaded with one Lockheed Martin/Raytheon AIM-9M or AIM-9X Sidewinder all-aspect short-range
air-to-air missile.
Radar...
The AN/APG-77 radar has been developed for the F/A-22 by the Electronic Sensors and Systems Division of Northrop Grumman
and Raytheon Electronic Systems. The radar uses an active electronically scanned antenna array of 2,000 transmitter/receive
modules, which provides agility, low radar cross-section and wide bandwidth. AN/APG-77 began flight testing in June 2004.
Countermeasures...
The aircraft's electronic warfare system includes a radar warning receiver and a BAE Systems Information & Electronic
Warfare Systems (IEWS) (formerly Lockheed Martin Sanders) missile launch detector.
Navigation and Communications...
The TRW CNI communications, navigation and identification system includes an intra-flight datalink, joint tactical
information distribution system (JTIDS) link and an identification friend or foe (IFF) system. Boeing is responsible
for mission software and avionics integration. The aircraft has a Northrop Grumman (formerly Litton) LTN-100G laser
gyroscope inertial reference, a global positioning system and a microwave landing system.
Engine...
The F-22 is powered by two Pratt and Whitney F119-100 engines. The F119-100 is a low bypass after burning turbofan engine
providing 156kN thrust. The F119 is the first fighter aircraft engine equipped with hollow wide chord fan blades which are
installed in the first fan stage. Thrust vectoring is controlled by a Hamilton Standard dual redundant full authority
digital engine control (FADEC). The FADEC is integrated with the flight control computers in the BAE Systems Flight
Controls vehicle management system.
More Info About Weapons...
AIM 120 C...
Located in the ventral bays, the F-22 is armed with six AIM-120C Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM).
Weapons armament on the F-22 turned out to be a controversial issue in the past. In preferred conditions, a fighter
such as the F-22 with internal weapons bays should have a compact missile with folding fins. This condition would mean
the F-22 could not carry standard missiles. An anticipated problem of internal missiles with folding fins is they may
not be capable of withstanding stresses when carried externally on current fighters. The latter is not acceptable in
this modern age in military hardware. This is because of the ability for almost all Air Force weapons to be used on
its current fleet of fighter aircraft. The ability for Air to Air and Air to ground weapons to be carried on multiple
aircraft cuts down on costs and maintenance support. The Aim 120C is a compromise. Reason being, the tails and wings of
the missile have been reduced in size with the intent for the missile to fit better into internal bays. Best of all,
there are no performance compromises with the reduction. In addition, the USAF has announced the AIM-120C will become
the standard version for all of its fighters. The Aim-120C's will be propelled off of the missile rack inside of the
weapons bays by pneumatic and/or hydraulic ejectors.
AIM 9...
The F-22's side weapons bays (one on each side) will initially hold one Aim 9 Sidewinder missile. The Sidewinder is a
heat seeking IR guided missile effective at short range. In the future however, the Aim-9x IR guided missile will be
introduced which will have small tail surfaces unlike previous versions. Most likely, the F-22 will be capable of
carrying two Aim-9x's per side. The Aim 9 Sidewinder will be extended on a trapeze mounted launcher before the launch.
This is to allow the Aim 9's IR seeker to effectively acquire the target or "sniff" it.
M 61 A 2 Cannon...
The F-22 will come equipped with an internal cannon. Lockheed Martin will install a M61A2 cannon, which is an improved
version of the original M61. A new feature includes longer, composite-wound bullets. The M61A2 will be mounted just above
the right wing root. To preserve the F-22's stealthy characteristics, an inward opening door will cover the muzzle until
the weapon is fired. It is capable of firing 100 rounds per second, carrying 480 rounds in all.
JDAM...
In 1994, the USAF asked Lockheed Martin to develop an air to surface capability for the F-22. Provisions were later made
to the lower weapons bays to accommodate one 1,000 pound GBU-30/32 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) per side. A simple
GPS (Global Positioning System)/inertial system will guide the weapon to its target. Eventually later versions will have
increased precision attack capability by including a programmable radar seeker. The F-22's air-to-surface operations will
be carried out courtesy of its onboard synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode. In addition to the F-22's internal weapons
bays, it will also be capable of carrying stores externally. Four underwing stations will be able to support up to 5,000
pounds. Underwing stores will be fitted to the F-22 when stealth is not critical. External drop tanks up to 600 US gallons
can also be fitted onto the stations. This will increase the F-22's endurance and range significantly.
Following explains the systems and arrangements from : http://www.f-22raptor.com/
Arrangement...
The F-22 is capable of carrying existing and planned air-to-air weapons. These include a full complement of medium-range
missiles such as the AIM-120A advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) and short-range missiles such as the
AIM-9 Sidewinder.
The F-22 has four internal weapons bays for its main armaments. Two at the bottom of the mid-fuselage and two on the air
intake sides. Four underwing hardpoints are mainly meant for fuel tanks on ferry flights, but can also carry a weapon
load. Below the different weapons configurations are shown :
Air-to-air configuration; 2 AIM-9 [Sidewinder] missiles in the side bays + 6 AIM 120C [AMRAAM] missiles. (or 4 of the
older AIM 120A [AMRAAM] missiles, which have longer fins).
Air-to-ground configuration; 2 AIM-9 [Sidewinder] missiles in the side bays + 2 AIM 120C [AMRAAM] missiles + 2 GBU-32 JDAM
450 pounds bombs. (or 2 GBU-30 JDAM 1000 pound bombs and no AMRAAM missiles). External combat configuration; 2 fueltanks
+ 4 missiles. Ferry configuration; 4 external fuel tanks + 8 missiles. Above is picture of the missile ejection system
which can be found in the main weapons bay. If the pilot decides to fire a missile, the beapons bay door of the referring
missile will open, the mechanism will carry the missile outside the plane, the missile can lock and it is fired. When the
missile is away, the ejection system will retract into the weapons bay again and the bay door closes to preserve the
fighters stealthyness.
The next CAD image is showing the main weapons bay, in which 6 missiles are clearly visible. (Air-to-Air configuration).
The front of the weapons bay doors are triangular shaped to preserve the F-22's stealth characteristics.
Another More Info...
The F-22 program is developing the next-generation air superiority fighter for the Air Force to counter emerging worldwide
threats. It is designed to penetrate enemy airspace and achieve a first-look, first-kill capability against multiple
targets. The F-22 is characterized by a low-observable, highly maneuverable airframe; advanced integrated avionics; and
aerodynamic performance allowing supersonic cruise without afterburner.
Stealth : Greatly increases survivability and lethality by denying the enemy critical information required to
successfully attack the F-22. Integrated Avionics : Allows F-22 pilots unprecedented awareness of enemy forces through the fusion of on- and
off-board information. Supercruise : Enhances weapons effectiveness; allows rapid transit through the battlespace; reduces the enemy’s
time to counter attack.
The F-22's engine is expected to be the first to provide the ability to fly faster than the speed of sound for an extended
period of time without the high fuel consumption characteristic of aircraft that use afterburners to achieve supersonic
speeds. It is expected to provide high performance and high fuel efficiency at slower speeds as well.
For its primary air-to-air role, the F-22 will carry six AIM-120C and two AIM-9 missiles. For its air-to-ground role,
the F-22 can internally carry two 1,000 pound-class Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), two AIM-120C, and two AIM-9
missiles. With the Global Positioning System-guided JDAM, the F-22 will have an adverse weather capability to supplement
the F-117 (and later the Joint Strike Fighter) for air-to-ground missions after achieving air dominance.
The F-22's combat configuration is "clean", that is, with all armament carried internally and with no external stores.
This is an important factor in the F-22's stealth characteristics, and it improves the fighter's aerodynamics by
dramatically reducing drag, which, in turn, improves the F-22's range. The F-22 has four under wing hardpoints, each
capable of carrying 5,000 pounds. A single pylon design, which features forward and aft sway braces, an aft pivot,
electrical connections, and fuel and air connections, is used. Either a 600-gallon fuel tank or two LAU-128/A missile
launchers can be attached to the bottom of the pylon, depending on the mission. There are two basic external configurations
for the F-22 : ( a ) Four 600 gallon fuel tanks, no external weapons: This configuration is used when the aircraft is being
ferried and extra range is needed. A BRU-47/A rack is used on each pylon to hold the external tanks. ( b ) Two 600 gallon
fuel tanks, four missiles: This configuration is used after air dominance in a battle area has been secured, and extra
loiter time and firepower is required for Combat Air Patrol (CAP). The external fuel tanks, held by a BRU-47/A rack are
carried on the inboard stations, while a pylon fitted with two LAU-128/A rail launchers is fitted to each of the outboard
stations.
An all-missile external loadout (two missiles on each of the stations) is possible and would not be difficult technically
to integrate, but the Air Force has not stated a requirement for this configuration. Prior to its selection as winner of
what was then known as the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) competition, the F-22 team conducted a 54-month demonstration /
validation (dem/val) program. The effort involved the design, construction and flight testing of two YF-22 prototype
aircraft. Two prototype engines, the Pratt & Whitney YF119 and General Electric YF120, also were developed and tested
during the program. The dem/val program was completed in December 1990. Much of that work was performed at Boeing in
Seattle, Lockheed (now known as Lockheed Martin) facilities in Burbank, Calif., and at General Dynamics' Fort Worth,
Texas, facilities (now known as Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems). The prototypes were assembled in Lockheed's
Palmdale, Calif., facility and made their maiden flight from there. Since that time Lockheed's program management and
aircraft assembly operations have moved to Marietta, Ga., for the EMD and production phases.
The F-22 passed milestone II in 1991. At that time, the Air Force planned to acquire 648 F-22 operational aircraft at a
cost of $86.6 billion. After the Bottom Up Review, completed by DOD in September 1993, the planned quantity of F-22s was
reduced to 442 at an estimated cost of $71.6 billion.
A $9.55 billion contract for Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) of the F-22 was awarded to the industry team
of Boeing and Lockheed Martin in August 1991. Contract changes since then have elevated the contract value to approximately
$11 billion. Under terms of the contract, the F-22 team will complete the design of the aircraft, produce production
tooling for the program, and build and test nine flightworthy and two ground-test aircraft.
A Joint Estimate Team was chartered in June 1996 to review the F-22 program cost and schedule. JET concluded that the
F-22 engineering and manufacturing development program would require additional time and funding to reduce risk before
the F-22 enters production. JET estimated that the development cost would increase by about $1.45 billion. Also, JET
concluded that F-22 production cost could grow by about $13 billion (from $48 billion to $61 billion) unless offset by
various cost avoidance actions. As a result of the JET review the program was restructured, requiring an additional $2.2
billion be added to the EMD budget and 12 months be added to the schedule to ensure the achievement of a producible,
affordable design prior to entering production. The program restructure allowed sourcing within F-22 program funds by
deleting the three pre-production aircraft and slowing the production ramp. Potential for cost growth in production was
contained within current budget estimate through cost reduction initiatives formalized in a government/industry memorandum
of agreement. The Defense Acquisition Board principals reviewed the restructured program strategy and on February 11, 1997
the Defense Acquisition Executive issued an Acquisition Defense Memorandum approving the strategy.
The Quadrennial Defense Review Reportwhich was released in mid-May 1997, reduced the F-22 overall production quantity from
438 to 339, slowed the Low Rate Initial Production ramp from 70 to 58, and reduced the maximum production rate from 48 to
36 aircraft per year.
The F-22 EMD program marked a successful first flight on September 7, 1997. The flight test program, which has already
begun in Marietta, Georgia, will continue at Edwards AFB, California through the year 2001. Low rate production is
scheduled to begin in FY99. The aircraft production rate will gradually increase to 36 aircraft per year in FY 2004, and
will continue that rate until all 339 aircraft have been built (projected to be complete in 2013). Initial Operational
Capability of one operational squadron is slated for December 2005.
The F-15 fleet is experiencing problems with avionics parts obsolescence, and the average age of the fleet will be more
than 30 years when the last F-22 is delivered in 2013. But the current inventory of F-15s can be economically maintained
in a structurally sound condition until 2015 or later. None of the 918 F-15s that were in the inventory in July 1992 will
begin to exceed their expected economic service lives until 2014.
