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 ...
about time, should have been flying 8 years ago
"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!
Saw one of these up close and personal at an air show at Shaw AFB last summer. Gave me the chills! Militant
Candygram...
As a private pilot, I find all of this to be very freakin cool!
It is a work of art, isn't it?
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.....
Here is another Lockheed jewl;
http://www.wvi.com/~sr71webmaster/sr-71~1.htm
Note to Iranian Mullahs: that's your door he's talking about.
I want one, and I'm NOT a pilot!
Mark
balls to the wall, kick some butt, way cool!
Well crap!!! We don't use the weapons we have now to win a fight/war, why the hell do we need this thing?
Sometimes want comes ahead of need. Just kidding, I agree with your sentiment. We should be in em to win em!
Awesome looking plane!
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.
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