F-22 Raptor is a stealth fighter aircraft the United States

Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) is a contract for the demonstration and validation program undertaken the United States Air Force to develop a new generation air superiority fighter to deal with threats from outside the United States, including the development of class aircraft Su-27 Soviet era.

In 1981, the United States Air Force to map the requirements to be met a new fighter aircraft intended to replace the F-15 Eagle. Envisaged that the ATF would incorporate emerging technologies including advanced alloys and composite materials, advanced control systems, high-powered propulsion systems, and stealth aircraft technology.

Proposals for the contract was filed in 1986, and two contractor teams, Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics and Northrop / McDonnell Douglas were selected in October 1986 to undertake a demonstration and validation phase for 50 months, which eventually produced two prototypes, the YF -22 and the YF-23.

The aircraft is planned to be a United States aircraft the most sophisticated in the early 21st century, therefore, this plane is the most expensive fighter aircraft, at a price of U.S. $ 120 million per unit, or U.S. $ 361 million per unit when added to the cost of development. In April 2005, the total cost of the development of this program is U.S. $ 70 billion, causing the number of aircraft planned to be made down to 438, then 381 and now 180, from 750 aircraft initial plan. One of the factors causing this reduction is due to F-35 Lightning II will have the same technology with the F-22, but the unit price is cheaper.

An analysis of military said attacks using the F-22 Raptor, effectively to block Tehran's nuclear development ambitions.

In a review in February of Iran's nuclear program conducted by the international atomic energy agency, found that there is ambiguity in the nuclear development.

Iran itself has been interested in developing air defense systems in anticipation of further air attacks might be carried out.

Meanwhile, Russia has been considering to sell an air defense system to Iran, and according to military analysis, it would make Iran's airspace into a "virtual no-fly zone".

A report made by the Washington Institute for Middle East Policy says that if the talks failed to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear program, then the attack will be the F-22 can neutralize a nuclear threat from Iran's.

"Only fighters F-22 that can survive the air defense system capable of firing missiles from the ground into the air," said the former officer in the association of the presidential plane - Lt. Gen. Mike Dunn.
"Air attack from F-22 can restore the credibility of the option of military action," said a report.

Meanwhile, U.S. forces rely on themselves more F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon for a military operation in counter the resistance fighters who performed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Washington may have lost the ability land defense-related threat is conventional.
Brief fighter F-22 Raptor
General Characteristics

* Crew: 1
* Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.90 m)
* Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m)
* Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
* Wing area: 840 ft ² (78.04 m²)
* Airfoil: NACA 64A? 05.92 root, NACA 64A? 04.29 tip
* Empty weight: 31,670 lb (14,365 kg)
* Loaded weight: 55,352 lb (25,107 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 80,000 lb (36,288 kg)
* Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofans pitch propulsion steering, 35,000 lb (155.7 kN) each

Performance

* Maximum speed: ≈ Mach 2.42 (2575 km / h) at altituda / high altitude
* Cruise speed: Mach 1.72 (1825 km / h) at altituda / high altitude
* Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1738 nm, 3219 km)
* The highest limit services: 65,000 feet (19,812 m)
* Rate of climb: the secret (general unknown)
* Wing loading: 66 lb / ft ² (322 kg / m²)
* Thrust / weight: 1.26
* Maximum g-load: -3 / +9 g

Armament

* Guns: 1 × 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan Gatling gun at the base of the left wing, 480 rounds of ammunition
* Air to Air:

* 6 × AIM-120 AMRAAM
* 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder

* Air to ground:

* 2 × AIM-120 AMRAAM and
* 2 × AIM-9 Sidewinder and one of:
o 2 × 1,000 lb JDAM or
o 2 × Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers (WCMDs) or
o 8 × 250 lb GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb

F-22 Raptor is a stealth fighter aircraft the United States. It was originally envisioned as air superiority fighter for use against Soviet aircraft, the aircraft is equipped for ground attack, electronic warfare and signals intelligence.

This aircraft through a long development period, is named the prototype YF-22, three years before it was officially adopted F/A-22 named, and finally given the name of the F-22A when used on the official start in December 2005. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the prime contractor is responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapons, and assembling the F-22. Then his partner, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems provides the wings, avionics equipment, and pilot and maintenance training.