New Delhi: Stealthy US Air Force F-22 Raptor jets have arrived in the Middle East in a show of force to deter Iran and its proxies from attacking Israel after the assassination of a top Hamas leader. The F-22s are part of a rapid deployment of advanced forces to the region, including US warships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. The US may also enhance land-based ballistic missile defences in the area. In this article, let us know about these stealthy fighter jets.
F-22 Raptor jets: Know all about the fighter jets
Background
The Advanced Tactical Fighter program began in 1986. The YF-22 was selected for further development in 1991, and the aircraft entered low-rate initial production in 2001. Full-rate production approval was granted in 2005, and the aircraft was designated F-22A in December 2005.
Mission
The F-22 Raptor is a state-of-the-art aircraft that combines stealth, supercruise, manoeuvrability, and integrated avionics. It is designed to excel in both air-to-air combat and air-to-ground missions, allowing it to support vital operational concepts for the 21st-century Air Force. As a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, the F-22 can project air dominance over great distances and swiftly defeat threats that aim to deny access to the US Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Its advanced capabilities make it unmatched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.
Features
The F-22 possesses advanced sensor capabilities, integrated avionics, situational awareness, and weapons systems, providing a first-strike advantage against threats.
It is equipped with a sophisticated sensor suite, which allows the pilot to track, identify, and engage air-to-air threats before they are detected.
The aircraft also has significant air-to-ground attack capabilities and can carry various munitions for different mission requirements.
Additionally, the F-22 features advanced low-observable technologies that improve its survivability and lethality against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats, bringing stealth capabilities to the forefront of its operations.
Its engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine, enabling it to achieve supersonic airspeeds without using afterburners, a unique capability known as supercruise.
The F-22’s sleek aerodynamic design, increased thrust, and advanced flight controls allow it to outmanoeuvre all current and projected aircraft.
Furthermore, the aircraft’s design and capabilities work together to drastically reduce enemy forces’ observability and minimise their ability to track and engage the F-22, ensuring its effectiveness in tactical environments.
The F-22 also boasts superior reliability and maintainability, requiring less manpower for maintenance and enabling more efficient operations.
Specifications
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 62 ft 1 in
Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in
Height: 16 ft 8 in
Wing area: 840 sq ft
Aspect ratio: 2.36
Airfoil: NACA 6 series airfoil
Empty weight: 19,700 kg
Gross weight: 29,410 kg
Max takeoff weight: 38,000 kg
Fuel capacity: 8,200 kg internally, or 12,000 kilograms with two 2× 600 US gal tanks
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 augmented turbofans, 26,000 lbf (116 kN) thrust each dry, 35,000 lbf (156 kN) with afterburner
Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 2.25, 1,500 mph at high altitude
Mach 1.21, 800 knots at sea level
Supercruise: Mach 1.82, 1,220 mph at high altitude
Range: 1,600 nmi (1,800 mi, 3,000 km) or more with two external fuel tanks
Combat range: 460 nmi (530 mi, 850 km) clean with 100 nmi (115 mi; 185 km) in supercruise
590 nmi (679 mi; 1,093 km) clean subsonic[N 18]
Ferry range: 1,740 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km)
Service ceiling: 65,000 ft
g limits: +9.0/−3.0
Wing loading: 77.2 lb/sq ft (377 kg/m2)
Thrust/weight: 1.08 (1.25 with loaded weight and 50 per cent internal fuel)
Armament
Guns: 1× 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon, 480 rounds
Internal weapons bays
Air-to-air mission loadout:
6× AIM-120C/D AMRAAM or 4× AIM-120A/B AMRAAM
2× AIM-9M/X Sidewinder
Air-to-ground mission loadout:
2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM or 8× 250 lb (110 kg) GBU-39 SDB
2× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
Hardpoint (external):
4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry weapons, each with a capacity of 2,270 kg or 2,270 L drop tanks
4x AIM-120 AMRAAM (external)
Avionics
AN/APG-77 or AN/APG-77(V)1 AESA radar: 125–150 miles (201–241 km) against 1 m2 (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range), more than 250 miles (400 km) in narrow beams
AN/AAR-56 Missile Launch Detector (MLD)
AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare system: 460 km or more detection range for radar warning receiver (RWR)
Integrated CNI Avionics including:
Inter/Intra-Flight Datalink (IFDL)
MIDS-JTRS
Link 16
IFF (Mode 5)
Embedded GPS/INS
TACAN
HAVE QUICK/SATURN
SINCGARS
JTIDS
MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles
The F-22 Raptor is a twin-engine, all-weather stealth fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force. It was designed as an air superiority fighter, including ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
