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F-22 joins US fleet as top fighter
Reuters.com ^ | 12/15/2005 | Jim Wolf

Posted on 12/15/2005 10:07:58 AM PST by LM_Guy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The futuristic F-22A "Raptor" fighter jet, designed to dominate the skies well into the 21st century, joined the U.S. combat fleet on Thursday, 20 years after it was conceived to fight Soviet MiGs over Europe.

The Air Force said "initial operational capability" had been achieved by 16 of the aircraft at the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.

Pilots in the squadron, the Air Force's oldest in continuous operation, have been training on the F-22 for about a year. "When asked to go to war, they're ready," said the 1st Fighter Wing's Sgt. Thomas Doscher of the status change.

The aircraft's role is to "kick the doors down" in a conflict, as Pentagon officials put it, knocking out defenses on the ground and in the air to clear the way for other warplanes and forces.

The radar-evading Raptor is twice as reliable and three times more effective than the F-15C Eagle it is replacing as the top U.S. air-to-air fighter, according to Lockheed Martin Corp., its developer.

Lockheed described the fighter as the world's most advanced and said it was "relevant for the next 40 years."

Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. are top F-22 subcontractors. United Technologies Corp.'s Pratt & Whitney unit makes the aircraft's two engines.

STEALTHY AND SUPERSONIC

The Raptor combines low-observability, or stealth, with supersonic speed, agility and cockpit displays designed to boost greatly pilots' awareness of the situation around them.

At a "fly-away" cost of about $130 million each for the most recent batch, not including research and development, it is also one of the most controversial U.S. warplanes ever.

(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Russia; Technical; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: allahbuster; f22; f22a; f22araptor; langleyafb; raptor; usaf
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Great new Super-Hitech Aircombat Butt Kikker !!
1 posted on 12/15/2005 10:07:59 AM PST by LM_Guy
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To: LM_Guy

2 posted on 12/15/2005 10:13:34 AM PST by ladtx ("It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it." -- -- General Douglas MacArthur)
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To: LM_Guy
Image hosted by TinyPic.com
3 posted on 12/15/2005 10:13:44 AM PST by Sax
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To: LM_Guy

about time, should have been flying 8 years ago


4 posted on 12/15/2005 10:16:13 AM PST by jbwbubba
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To: jbwbubba

"The Raptor combines low-observability, or stealth, with supersonic speed, agility and cockpit displays designed to boost greatly pilots' awareness of the situation around them."

The Raptor can cruse at supersonic speed WITHOUT the use of afterburners!


5 posted on 12/15/2005 10:23:18 AM PST by oxcart
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To: LM_Guy

Saw one of these up close and personal at an air show at Shaw AFB last summer. Gave me the chills! Militant


6 posted on 12/15/2005 10:28:19 AM PST by militant2 ("There just is no fix for stupid!")
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To: LM_Guy
The aircraft's role is to "kick the doors down"

Candygram...

7 posted on 12/15/2005 10:28:55 AM PST by bruin66 (Time: Nature's way of keeping everything from happening at once.)
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As a private pilot, I find all of this to be very freakin cool!


8 posted on 12/15/2005 10:29:15 AM PST by crghill
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To: ladtx

It is a work of art, isn't it?


9 posted on 12/15/2005 10:31:01 AM PST by RightCanuck (If a rattlesnake is coiled and ready to strike at you, you don't wait to hit him hard)
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To: militant2

It was supposed to do a flyby at the Dayton Air Show this past summer but didn't because of weather. My kids and I were bumming.....


10 posted on 12/15/2005 10:32:29 AM PST by day10 (Wherever you come near the human race there's layers and layers of nonsense.)
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To: LM_Guy

11 posted on 12/15/2005 10:32:59 AM PST by Jasper (Stand Fast, Craigellachie !)
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To: LM_Guy

Here is another Lockheed jewl;

http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/sr-71~1.htm


12 posted on 12/15/2005 10:36:20 AM PST by oxcart
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To: LM_Guy
The aircraft's role is to "kick the doors down" in a conflict

Note to Iranian Mullahs: that's your door he's talking about.

13 posted on 12/15/2005 10:43:56 AM PST by Mad_as_heck (The MSM - America's (domestic) public enemy #1.)
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To: crghill
As a private pilot, I find all of this to be very freakin cool!

I want one, and I'm NOT a pilot!

Mark

14 posted on 12/15/2005 10:44:02 AM PST by MarkL (I swear by my pretty floral bonnet that I will end you!)
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To: MarkL

balls to the wall, kick some butt, way cool!


15 posted on 12/15/2005 10:46:41 AM PST by mr_hammer (They have eyes, but do not see . . .)
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To: LM_Guy

Well crap!!! We don't use the weapons we have now to win a fight/war, why the hell do we need this thing?


16 posted on 12/15/2005 10:48:10 AM PST by devane617 (An Alley-Cat mind is a terrible thing to waste)
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To: devane617

Sometimes want comes ahead of need. Just kidding, I agree with your sentiment. We should be in em to win em!


17 posted on 12/15/2005 10:57:17 AM PST by crghill
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To: Jasper

Awesome looking plane!


18 posted on 12/15/2005 11:04:23 AM PST by dropzone
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To: militant2
Saw one of these up close and personal at an air show at Shaw AFB last summer. Gave me the chills! Militant

I saw one of the first ones completed up close and personal about 10 years ago in Marietta, GA as it was about to roll off the production line for final detailing to be delivered to the Air Force. It gave me chills too.

19 posted on 12/15/2005 11:09:43 AM PST by VRWCmember
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Comment #20 Removed by Moderator


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