Posted on 05/02/2012 12:22:17 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
MARIETTA, Ga., May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] leadership delivered today the 195th and last F-22 Raptor to U.S. Air Force leadership in a ceremony at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site here. With this delivery, the U.S. Air Force now possesses the world's only 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft fleet in the world.
...
A host of distinguished officials participated in this monumental event, including senior leaders from Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force; local, state and national elected officials; and Lockheed Martin employees who helped build the F-22 Raptor fleet.
This final Raptor joins a U.S. Air Force fleet of 187 operational F-22s and will join other F-22s in the Air Force's 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. In all, Lockheed Martin delivered 195 F-22s to the Air Force beginning in 1997, with eight Raptors used as test aircraft.
F-22s are assigned to seven U.S. bases. Flight testing takes place at Edwards AFB, Calif. Operational tactics development continues at Nellis AFB, Nev. Pilot training takes place at Tyndall AFB, Fla. Operational F-22 aircraft are assigned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Holloman AFB, N. M.; and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
The F-22 Raptor is the world's only operational 5th generation fighter, making it an unmatched national security asset. The Raptor is designed to defeat denied-access threats, enable joint and coalition operations in contested areas, and globally promote deterrence and security. For more information on the F-22, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/products/f22/.
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
Did it include the option for the power windows in case the airplane tries to suffocate you?
A bizarre development indeed.. impeded oxygen flow.. a shame if they couldn’t fly over 10K feet.. still a deadly weapon, ya can hang a lot of stuff on it..
Great jet.
Can’t “hang” anything on it, however.
It has no external hard-points to hang anything on, and besides, anything hanging on the jet would destroy its LO capability.
Limited to internal weapons only, and the max load for JDAMs is two 500-lb’rs. More SDBs as they are smaller and on an internally mounted rack.
She’s a beauty! Thanks for posting.
It has no external hard-points to hang anything on,
Incorrect.
and besides, anything hanging on the jet would destroy its LO capability.
Not a problem once air superiority has been achieved.
Limited to internal weapons only,
How much experience in TACAIR do you have?
We need to cancel the F-35, buy more F-22 for air superiority, and buy cheap F-16s, F-18s, and old A-10s for ground pounding. JMHO
awww crap,, i guess it’s all a psych game these days..
then gimme a few fully loaded F4 Phantoms.. I’ll take brute force over stealthy anyday..
heck ya could hang all kinds of stuff off of them
Thanks for that. as long as it has fuel pods and a comfy seat,, I’m ok with only a few missiles..
I hear they are moisture sensitive so being used as an all weather craft may shorten their lifespans.. global varming and crud eating ‘em up in the atmosphere and all... or that could be some rumsfeld disinfo .. ;-)
No, but it does come with 24 inch spinner hubcaps.
External A/G loads are not what the jet was designed for and won’t be flown operationally in that configuration. It was designed for internal A/A and A/G internal loads for a specific mission: kick down the door so the trucks (F-15E’s) could flow through. Think F-177’s on the first night of the first Gulf War.
External hard points are not the usual configuration, as they are like putting high-beams while driving down a very dark road. Not a way to hide.
Combat configuration is strictly internal A/G loads. Simply because you have air superiority doesn’t mean anything as long as you have active IADS and other air defenses that can take a shot at you. Think the F-177 shoot-down by an SA-6, it was shot-down when it opened it’s internal weapons bay doors and that lit it up, saying “here I am, shoot me!” Of course, didn’t help that the jets were flying the same ingress and egress routes for the past few nights (political pressures and airspace, the usual nonsense).
So, air superiority means great things but it isn’t all there is to it. (Oh, and the preferred terms is now is “air supremacy,” not air superiority. Regardless, in either case, the generally accepted understanding is related to control over the air while some thinkers related the definition to control of all opposing forces, air, land, sea, by your own air forces.)
The jet has the capability to hang hard-points simply because of the need for external tanks. That is all.
The external weapons configuration was added for two specific reasons: 1) the SAC/HAC/SASC/HASC would never have approved funding for a single-mission jet—no matter how good. All modern jets must “swing” if they wish to be built. 2) For PR purposes for the uninformed public that wails about cost and then would wail louder when they discover the jet couldn’t drop a single bomb. Simple solution—expand the internal bay and adjust the hard points to allow carry of external loads.
Nonetheless, you would never fly in combat an external weapons load (understanding “never” is a relative term. . .who knows what the future may demand. . .think the F-4 and adding the gun. . .the gun, a weapon that was never to be used again in an A/A engagement.).
So, basically, the configuration is internal A/A and limited smoke-and-mirrors A/G loads.
TACAIR experience? Well, because anyone can claim anything on the net, and not to be rude (seriously), that question is valueless. If you wish to FReepmail me to discuss jets and such, we can do that and swap a few stories as well. . .always fun to shoot our watches and drink “Weed.” (Fighter pilots know what “weed” I am referring to).
That's what I thought. And perhaps armaments in the case of an extremely unusual but not inconceivable mission profile. P.S. I am not/was not a fighter pilot by any means, but did manage to pull 2.9G in my Tripacer once!
2.9. . .hmmm. . .if you didn’t hit AT LEAST 4g’s in the traffic pattern you were a wimp—HAH!
;-)
It has no external hard-points to hang anything on,
Once again, you are incorrect.
Think F-177’s(sic)
Think F-117
Think the F-177
F-117
(political pressures and airspace, the usual nonsense).
BS. Zoomie arrogance and s****y tactics are what led to the shootdown.
If you wish to FReepmail me to discuss jets and such, we can do that and swap a few stories as well. . .always fun to shoot our watches and drink “Weed.”
Not gonna happen. I don't consort with pogues.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
