F 22 PICTURE DRIVERS
During Dem/Val, the SPO used the results of performance and cost trade studies conducted by contractor teams to adjust ATF requirements and delete ones that were significant weight and cost drivers while having marginal value. Avionics development was marked by extensive testing and prototyping and supported by ground and flying laboratories. Contractors made extensive use of analytical and empirical methods, including computational fluid dynamics, wind-tunnel testing, and radar cross-section (RCS) calculations and pole testing the Lockheed team would conduct nearly 18,000 hours of wind-tunnel testing.
ĭem/Val was focused on risk reduction and technology development plans over point aircraft designs in fact, after the down-select, the Lockheed team completely changed the airframe configuration in the summer of 1987 due to weight analysis during detailed design, with notable changes including the wing planform from swept trapezoidal to diamond-like and a reduction in forebody planform area. Concurrently, Pratt & Whitney and General Electric were awarded contracts to develop the YF119 and YF120 engines respectively for the ATF engine competition. Lockheed then teamed with Boeing and General Dynamics while Northrop teamed with McDonnell Douglas, and the two contractor teams undertook a 50-month Dem/Val phase, culminating in the flight test of two technology demonstrator prototypes, the YF-22 and the YF-23, respectively. Of the seven bidding companies, Lockheed and Northrop were selected on 31 October 1986. The demonstration and validation (Dem/Val) request for proposals (RFP) was issued in September 1985, with requirements placing a strong emphasis on stealth and supercruise.
In 1983, the ATF concept development team became the System Program Office (SPO) and managed the program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It would take advantage of the new technologies in fighter design on the horizon, including composite materials, lightweight alloys, advanced flight control systems, more powerful propulsion systems, and most importantly, stealth technology. Code-named " Senior Sky", this air-superiority fighter program was influenced by emerging worldwide threats, including new developments in Soviet air defense systems and the proliferation of the Su-27 "Flanker"- and MiG-29 "Fulcrum"-class of fighter aircraft. Air Force identified a requirement for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) to replace the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter system is expected to be a successor to the F-22. In 2009, the program was cut to 187 operational aircraft due to high costs, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile F-35. The USAF had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs. The fighter’s combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and avionics systems enable unprecedented air combat capabilities.
Despite its protracted development and various operational issues, USAF considers the F-22 a critical component of its tactical airpower. The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22's airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.
The result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also has ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities. The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is an American single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). American fifth-generation air superiority fighterĪn F-22 Raptor flies over Kadena Air Base, Japan on a routine training mission in 2009.ġ95 (8 test and 187 operational aircraft)
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