Posted on 06/13/2006 10:15:56 AM PDT by MARKUSPRIME
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter, flying at a speed of Mach 1.5 and an altitude of 50,000 feet, released a GPS-aided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from a range of 24 nautical miles, destroying a small ground target in the F-22's fastest and highest JDAM delivery yet.This was another milestone testing event for the Combined Test Force of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT], The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and U.S. Air Force pilots who conducted the joint developmental and operational test in early May at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., using a 1,000-pound Mk-83 JDAM with live warhead supplied by Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The ability to release a munition at supersonic speeds and standoff ranges greatly enhances the aircrew's survivability against heavily defended targets.We've already demonstrated the airplane's ability to operate with virtual impunity in the air-to-air realm and have had many successful JDAM deliveries previously, but successfully attacking a ground target at this speed, altitude and standoff range with a live weapon shows that to be true in the air-to-ground mission as well, said pilot Lt. Col. Raymond Buzz Toth following the test. The Raptor is ready to fight and is uniquely capable of supporting Air Force and Joint Command objectives against any enemy.
(Excerpt) Read more at lockheedmartin.com ...
That is one good-looking bird.
I just got to see FIVE of these gorgeous babies flying last weekend for the airshow at Hill AFB (Utah). They said that it was the first and possibly only time the public would ever see more than one or two at once at any air show, since they just happened to be doing training missions from Hill AFB around the same time as the air show. They added the show onto the end of their training missions..... WOW, the F-22 is one awesome aircraft.........
Both. A weapons release at Mach 1.5 is a tricky situation. The fact that they got a clean separation and the weapon then hit its target is simply amazing.
Currently about 45 or so out of a projected 380-odd buy.
71 have been delivered.
I think that's a great question.
Someone here with more knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think one of the key missions of the F-22 is to take out enemy air defense capabilities. If they can pull it off, it opens the skies for all manner of other aircraft to enter and make follow-up strikes.
So if I have it right, the F-22 is a real force-multiplier -- relatively few of them are needed to make a big difference.
An altitude of 50,000 feet and a range of 24 nautical miles... I wonder if they had a tail wind.
I'm impressed with the munitions. Launched at that altitude and speed, it made the transition to subsonic and still hit perfectly on the target.
The Mk83 JDAM is a 1,000 lb bomb. Zarqawi was hit with a 500 lb laser guided bomb, followed up with a 500 lb JDAM...do the math!
Fly over Florida and lay one into Cuba.
The Tomahawk can beat the drop distance, but it can't be redirected inflight the way an F-22 can, and it can't do its own damage assessment...
Full of innocent "civilians", I'm sure.
Thanks.
I am not a big fan of Wikipedia as a reference resource. Mostly becuase of the potential for mischief within it. Case in point: William Rivers Pitt has his own entry.
Thanks for the correction. I was trying to do the math and was coming up short...6 at Edwards, 7 at Nellis, 24 at Tyndall, 24 for the 27th FS at Langley...I wasn't sure how many the 94th FS (Eddie Rickenbacker's Hat in the Ring squadron) has received.
But on the other hand, the F-22 really does seem to give us some new capabilities we didn't have before -- I'm glad we've got it.
No need for a tail wind when you release a JDAM from 50k feet at Mach 1.5. Those nifty little bombs can glide something fierce.
Mach 1.5...50,000 feet...bullseye. Just damn.
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