Free Republic

For all the time I was flying fighters I knew two things for certain - 1) everyone gets slow in a dogfight, and 2) no jet could last against a Hornet in a slow speed fight. Even an average jock could make it sing. But speaking as a Hornet devotee? Looking over my shoulder in a brawl and seeing a jet that could do the things this airplane can do would make my heart die inside me.

Oregon Air National Guard officials are mounting a vigorous campaign to bring a squadron of the military's latest -- and most expensive -- fighter planes to Oregon to help patrol the West Coast. Guard staff on Friday unveiled a cockpit demonstrator for the F-22 Raptor at the Portland Air National Guard Base, one of a series of moves to show military officials that Oregon wants to beef up its patrol capabilities. Col. John Kent, commander of the Guard's 142nd Fighter Wing, said the F-22s are "critical to us pursuing our mission" of protecting the Pacific Coast. "My job is to...

http://www.airshowbuzz.com/files/photo/gallery/photos/orig_1_b4161.jpg http://www.airshowbuzz.com/files/photo/gallery/photos/orig_1_17e03.jpg http://www.airshowbuzz.com/files/photo/gallery/photos/orig_1_fe251.jpg Bear Busted... http://www.airshowbuzz.com/files/photo/gallery/photos/orig_1_bf303.jpg

A lot of threads have been put together with discussion concerning whetehr or not Australia should be given access to purchase the F-22 Raptor. I's like to state the Australian case as there seems to be precious little insight as to why we want, and in fact need, this vital piece of equipment. 1 - Australia is not a client state of the USA. We aren't obligated to purchase American equipment, including JSF. Final contracts for procurement have not been signed by any of the partner nations, including Australia. We can shop wherever we like for our fighters. At the...

The F-22 Raptor’s first flight in the Heritage program was a photo shoot at Tyndall AFB in Florida. Flying with the Raptor was a Mustang, Sabre, P-38, F-15, and Phantom. The Raptor will be flying in the Heritage Flight in the 2007 air show season.

Lockheed has confirmed there are no plans for a helmet-mounted sight or display system for pilots of its F-22A Raptor ‘air dominance’ fighter. Lockheed sources suggest that the aircraft’s other sensors could achieve the same job, though they refused to elaborate on how this could be achieved, and no-one Flight Daily News spoke to could imagine how this was possible. A basic helmet-mounted sight can be used to cue sensors and missile seekers on to targets outside the field of view of the head up display, obviating the need for a pilot to ‘point’ the nose of his aircraft (and...

PARIS, June 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-22 Raptor 5TH generation air dominance fighter continues to compile an overwhelming record of performance and reliability since entering operational service with the U.S. Air Force 18 months ago, based on data that includes statistics and reactions from pilots, commanders and maintainers. "Joint and allied force commanders talk about the commanding presence of the F-22 and how the Raptor makes everyone in the battlespace better," said Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Executive Vice President and F-22 Program General Manager Larry Lawson, at the 2007 Paris Air Show. "Pilots will tell you about...

EXCLUSIVE - U.S. arms-sale chief discounts F-22 sale to Japan By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. government arms-sale official on Friday all but dismissed prospects for supplying the United States' premier fighter jet to Japan or Israel, even if a sale is cleared by Congress. Designing an export version of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s radar-evading F-22 Raptor could cost more than $1 billion and be "prohibitively expensive" for any would-be foreign buyer, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, head of the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency. "If (export) were to be considered, which it's not, it essentially...

F-22 attractive to Japan as missile threats grow Apr 20, 2007 David A. Fulghum/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Japanese military officials are eyeing the F-22 Raptor as an antidote to growing regional missile threats, Aviation Week & Space Technology will report on April 23. The Lockheed Martin-built fighter is expected to become a key element in missile defense because it can detect and destroy small cruise missiles and also evade sophisticated air defenses to bomb ballistic missile launch sites. Whether Japanese law might be interpreted to allow the country's Self Defense Force to use the bombing to defend against ballistic...

Take off from any parking lot, who needs a runway! Takes up very little space too! Start price around $1500.

Israel has approached the USA about acquiring Lockheed Martin F-22s as concern mounts about new threats to the country’s regional air superiority. Sources say that the issue was raised during a one-day trip by US defence secretary Robert Gates to Israel last week. Washington has so far not authorised the export of the Raptor stealth fighter, but sources in Israel say this is the first time a “reasonable� request has been made. Among the subjects discussed with the country’s prime minister and defence minister were Israel’s concerns about the USA’s possible sale of advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia and the...

United States Air Force F-22A Raptor fighter in all its vapor beauty. 1 April 2007, 42nd Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) Air Show, Point Mugu, California, USA

Air Force presents world's fastest jet, the F-22A Raptor; stealth fighter slices through airspace at Point Mugu.ythology descended upon the crowd. And then it twisted, cutting a 90-degree angle so sharp it looked like a shuttle taking off. <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://adsremote.scripps.com/event.ng/Type=click&FlightID=2037461&AdID=2054430&TargetID=2027303&Targets=2001053,2003385,2020914,2004402,2027303,2005014,2026797&RawValues=&Redirect=http:%2f%2fwww.advertisersite.com"><IMG SRC="http://images.scripps.com/1x1.gif" WIDTH=120 HEIGHT=600 BORDER=0></A> This weekend at the Point Mugu Air Show, the Air Force unleashed its highly anticipated F-22A Raptor, which made just its second appearance before the public. It's the world's fastest jet and carries the most advanced weapons system on wings. Its completion has been the cause of whispers among aviation enthusiasts for many years, one...

Recently, American F-22 fighters were sent, for the first time, across the Pacific, to Japan, for a training exercise. This would be the first time the aircraft would cross the International Date line, where it is tomorrow, and the aircraft's GPS and navigation software would handle the date change. There were problems. All off a sudden the software that ran the navigation and communications systems wasn't working too well. Being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this was a problem. Some of the pilots were able to reboot their software and make the problem go away, but this did...

EDWARDS AFB - The 411th Flight Test Squadron began integration testing of the F-22A Raptor and the GBU-39/B small-diameter bomb in February. The weapon is designed to be a low-cost, stand-off, next-generation precision strike weapon, capable of flying autonomously. The bomb is guided by an inertial navigation system with global positioning system updates, said Jeff Randolph, flight test engineer for The Boeing Co.'s small-diameter bomb program. "When the Air Force wants to increase the capability of an aircraft here, they ask for us to put together a test plan specifically for Edwards," said Brad Jackson, performance engineer for Lockheed Martin...

Six Lockheed F-22 Raptors have Y2K-esque glitch of their own over the Pacific Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor is the most advanced fighter in the world with its stealth capabilities, advanced radar, state of the art weapons systems and ultra-efficient turbofans which allow the F-22 to "supercruise" at supersonic speeds without an afterburner. The Raptor has gone up against the best that the US Air Force and Navy has to offer taking out F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18 Super Hornets during simulated war games in Alaska. The Raptor-led "Blue Air" team was able to rack up an impressive 241-to-2 kill ratio during the...

Raptor debuts at Red Flag, dominates skies by Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke Air Combat Command Public Affairs 2/20/2007 -  NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (ACCNS)  -- The 94th Fighter Squadron deployed 14 F-22A Raptors and 197 personnel from Langley AFB, Va., to participate in the aircraft's first Red Flag exercise, which ran from Feb. 3 to 16 here. An official from the 65th Aggressor Squadron said the F-22s demonstrated an extremely lopsided advantage in their favor. Pilots from the 65th and 64th AS, including exchange pilots from the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Air Force, of Australia and England respectfully, expressed...

New F-22 Videos

AUSTRALIA's largest defence project, the $15 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is now almost certain to go ahead after the US formally ruled out the only viable alternative warplane for the RAAF. The US Deputy Defence Secretary Gordon England has written to Defence Minister Brendan Nelson saying the US will not export the world's most deadly warplane - the F-22 Raptor - to Australia. The US statement ends a growing debate among defence experts about which plane should replace the RAAF's ageing F-111 strike bombers and form the front line of the nation's future air force. It makes it virtually...

Raptors leaving Langley for first time  Mechanics and pilots of the 27th Fighter Squadron, expected to deploy soon for Okinawa, Japan, discuss one of their F-22 Raptors, the Air Force’s stealthy new fighters, with media from the U.S. and Japan. DAVE BOWMAN/DAILY PRESS By LOUIS HANSEN, The Virginian-Pilot © February 1, 2007 | Last updated 10:42 PM Jan. 31 HAMPTON - The Air Force's F-22 Raptor finally will be leaving its nest. Airmen from the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base are making their final preparations this week for a three- to four-month deployment to Kadena Air Base...

1/19/2007 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- The 1st Fighter Wing received its last assigned F-22A Raptor Friday when the 94th Fighter Squadron accepted tail number 5085, bringing the total to 40 F-22s to complete the fleet. Brig. Gen. Burt Field, 1st Fighter Wing commander, flew the final jet from the Lockheed Martin factory in Marietta, Ga., to Langley. "Completing our fleet of F-22s gives us that much more of an advantage at providing air dominance anywhere in the world," said General Field. It was only 20 months ago that the first Raptor was delivered to Langley. On Dec....

HONOLULU (AP) _ The U-S military plans to send its most advanced fighter jet abroad for the first time. The Air Force will deploy 12 of the F-22 planes to the southern Japanese island of Okinawa next month. The planes will train with Japan's air force, U-S F-15's, and the U-S Navy while at Okinawa's Kadena Air Base.

Think the FA-22 Raptor is over priced and not worth it? Might want to read this below. I got this from an olf Army friend of mine, who corresponds with a Air Force pilot he's talked to for many years. He felt the same way about the FA-22 until he was involved with the testing and training involved with the FA-22 a couple years ago. The comments made by this guy are pretty striking. The more of these in the Air Force arsenal the better, especially with the looming threats from China, North Korea, Iran, and now Venezuela with their...

Rapped in the Raptor: why Australia must have the best October 2, 2006 A former Top Gun is right to set his cross-hairs on key defence spending, writes Gerry Carmen. THE Peter Criss known to many Australians is the "catman" drummer of iconic band Kiss, whose theatrics include poking out tongues. But there's an Australian namesake who has just stepped out of the shadows and deserves even closer attention because he, too, is poking a mighty important metaphorical tongue — at the government. Retired RAAF air vice-marshal Peter Criss has put aside usual conventions to openly question the wisdom of...

Nothing on the planet can see the F-22, much less outfight it. But when the F-35 comes online, the two will literally dominate the skies. The F-35 will be able to see virtually hundreds of airplanes at distances far exceeding the scope of previous fighter systems. Tracking distances are classified, but the new aircraft's sight range is said to be twice that of existing fighters (about 40 miles in every direction for existing aircraft).

High cost may slow Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor 11:14 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 By RICHARD WHITTLE / The Dallas Morning News LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. – Neighbors of this history-laden airfield are getting used to a new sight: a plane roughly the color and shape of a giant arrowhead that takes off with a throaty roar and disappears in a hurry. Built partly in Fort Worth, the Lockheed Martin Corp. F-22 Raptor is the Air Force's newest, fastest, stealthiest and most potent fighter jet. In a two-week exercise in Alaska this June, the Raptors of Langley's...

Preparations are well under way for the Valley's premier aviation event - the Edwards Air Force Base Open House and Air Show. The free two-day event is set for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28 and 29, at the base that has been home to flight testing nearly every aircraft in the Air Force inventory - past, present and future. That heritage is reflected in the event's theme - "The Edwards' Edge: Making History, Reaching New Heights." This year's festivities also will honor the 60th anniversary of the Air Force, one of the first official events to do so. Headlining the...

August 7, 2006 (by Harold C. Hutchison) - In recent exercises over Alaska, the F-22 has been put to the test. The results have been staggering. F-22s notched an impressive 108 to 0 "kill ratio" often when outnumbered by as much as 8 to 1 by simulated Su-27/30 aircraft. In a very real sense, this is a preview of what is to come for forces facing the F-22. The F-15 and F-18 scored a 2:1 kill ratio against the simulated Flankers. This is not the only time that F-22s have shown their capabilities. Eight F-22s faced off against 33 F-15Cs...

New immigrant: F22 stealth bomber? World's most advanced fighter jet currently only in US hands. After House of Representatives lifts ban on its sale, security establishment assesses jet may be offered to Israel Aryeh Egozi The United States may supply Israel with the most advanced stealth fighter jet in the world – the F22 Raptor – considering the war in Lebanon and the Iranian threat, the Israeli security establishment has assessed. The US has not yet exported the F22 to any of its allies. Recently, however, the House of Representatives lifted its nine year ban on the sale of the...

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --- The final mission flies today at Northern Edge 2006, but the majority of the results are already in, and success is the buzzword from Alaska. During the two-week joint service exercise, several scenarios have proven that the interoperability and integration between American assets are stronger than ever. “Alaska’s aerial ranges and airspace provide unique capabilities to train to this scope,” said Col. Steve Hatter, Northern Edge exercise director. “We are extremely pleased with what we’ve been able to see thus far.” One major goal of the exercise was to test and train with the...

Washington, July 5 (IANS) The US House of Representatives has recommended lifting a nine-year ban on international sales of the F-22 Raptor, its most advanced fighter made by the same firm that manufactures F-16s proposed to be sold to Pakistan. But instead of putting the plane in the general shopping window, Lockheed Martin is eyeing US allies like Australia, Britain and Japan as potential buyers for the expensive plane. The House voted to lift the ban after an 11-minute debate on June 20, Washington Post reported. Prospects of passage in the Senate are unclear, but it has been generally more...

F-22 proves dominance in Northern Edge 2006 exercise.

A hapless US Air Force pilot had to be physically cut free from the cockpit of his F-22A Raptor when the canopy resolutely refused to open, Flight International reports. The mini-drama unfolded on 10 April at the 27th Fighter Squadron's base at Langley AFB, Virginia, when the canopy "became stuck in the down and locked position and could not be opened manually after the pilot cycled the mechanism several times, following a pre-flight warning that the canopy was unlocked". Accordingly, an emergency team of ground operatives moved in after five hours and attacked the $134m Raptor with a decidedly unstealthy...

4/18/2006 - HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFPN) -- A new era is under way for members of the 309th Maintenance Group here as they modify their first F-22A Raptor. This was the first of 12 to 14 aircraft scheduled to visit Hill this year for minor modifications. A total of 18 are contracted to undergo work here. "We're excited," said Guy Phillips, F-22 maintenance squadron director for the 309th MXG, about its new customer. "Most of us are a little apprehensive, but are well prepared and have lots of experience on aircraft. We're also confident that, with the experienced...

This weekend be sure to look up into the sky and catch a glimpse of modern and historic military aircraft. The event allows pilots to practice formation flying for the 2006 Air Show Circuit. From historic warplanes, to advanced and sophisticated jets. The F-22A Raptor is the Air Force's newest fighter aircraft. It's only been in circulation a few months and there are only 62 in the world like it. Lieutenant Colonel Jim Hecker says luck was on his side when he was picked to fly a Raptor. Hecker said, It's a stealth aircraft and has the ability to super...

This is the history of US flight starting with the Wright brothers,Emilia Earhart,Charles Lindbergh all the way to the F-22. The only plane I really miss in this is the B2,B1-B, and the F-18.

The newest bird in the Air Force fleet — and one of the noisiest — will make its Tucson debut next weekend. The F-22 Raptor, a sleek and supersonic stealth jet that's more advanced than any other in Air Force history, will be among dozens of new and vintage warplanes in town to train for the 2006 air- show season. Two or three of the futuristic fighters will touch down during the annual Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, a three-day event that allows pilots to practice formation flying for eight to nine hours a day. It's part...

A participant with the Make-A-Wish Foundation set a record by being the youngest person to sit in the U.S. Air Force's newest fighter and to fly the F-22A Raptor simulator. EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif., Feb. 23, 2006 – Team Edwards and the 411th Flight Test Squadron welcomed its "newest pilot" and his family to Edwards Feb. 14. Reilly Koyl, also known as "Raptor 00," may need a set of telephone books on the seat of the F-22A Raptor to see over the canopy rail, but that didn't deter the intrepid aviator from getting into his new "office." At 5...

The $439.3 billion defense budget proposed last week by President George W. Bush offers good news for programs associated with the Antelope Valley, including increased emphasis on unmanned aerial vehicles and the F-22 Raptor and purchase of the first F-35 joint strike fighter aircraft. However, it also calls for an accelerated pace of retirement for the F-117 stealth fighter and the venerable U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. On the manned side of the flying fleet, the budget calls for purchase of the first five F-35 joint strike fighter aircraft and funding for continued development of the new aircraft to be used...

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The Air Force's new F-22A Raptor is such a dominant fighter jet that in mock dogfights its pilots typically take on six F-15 Eagles at once. Despite the favorable odds, the F-15s, still one of the world's most capable fighters, are no contest for the fastest radar-evading stealth jet ever built. "The F-15 pilots, they are the world's best pilots," said Lt. Col. David Krumm, an F-22A instructor pilot. "When you take them flying against anyone else in the world, they are going to wipe the floor with them. It's a startling moment for...

Why is it taking so long to design, develop, produce, and deploy — in adequate numbers — a troop-transporting armored vehicle that would replace the up-armored Humvee in Iraq? I've been asked that question time and again, not by soldiers and Marines who ride in Humvees daily, but by fellow journalists, many of whom have logged time in Iraq or Afghanistan. One reporter said to me it was "criminal negligence" on the part of the White House and the Defense Department. Another referred to it as "the ultimate betrayal" of our soldiers. Despite their time in country, both reporters are...

The pending Boeing/Lockheed "United Launch Alliance" (ULA) to provide the Air Force with expendable rockets would unfairly strand taxpayers with a half-billion-dollar-a-year subsidy: that's the message the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) delivered to Congress today, in an open letter urging lawmakers to end subsidies for the companies' current and proposed space-booster schemes. Federal policymakers are expected to consider the merger deal as early as this week. "Launch platforms for satellites can be expendable, but tax dollars never are," said NTU Director of Government Affairs Paul Gessing. "Over the past decade, the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) initiative...

The futuristic F-22A "Raptor" fighter jet, designed to dominate the skies well into the 21st century, joined the U.S. combat fleet on Thursday, 20 years after it was conceived to fight Soviet MiGs over Europe. The Air Force said "initial operational capability" had been achieved at the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Pilots in the squadron, the Air Force's oldest in continuous operation, have been training on the F-22, the Air Force's most advanced weapon system, for about a year. "If we go to war tomorrow, the Raptor will go with us," Gen....

The F-22A Raptor, the newest addition to the Air Force arsenal, entered operational status Thursday after nearly 20 years of development and testing, much of it in the skies above the Antelope Valley. "This is a great day for us in the Air Force," said Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command. "I'm very happy to add this arrow to our quiver." The F-22A incorporates advancements in stealth, fuel-saving supersonic flight without afterburners, advanced avionics to provide pilots with better information about their environment and superior maneuverability. Keys considered the aircraft's capability and supportability in assigning the Raptor...

MARIETTA, Ga., December 15, 2005 -- Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-22A Raptor, the world’s only 5th generation fighter aircraft, surpassed a monumental milestone today when the United States Air Force declared that the Raptor has reached initial operational capability. General Ronald E. Keys, Commander of Air Combat Command, made the historic announcement at Langley Air Force Base, Va., from a Raptor hangar near his headquarters. “The F-22A fulfills a long quest to bring 5th generation capabilities of stealth, supercruise, and precision to the warfighter today and for decades to come,” said General Keys in an Air Force news release. “If...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The futuristic F-22A "Raptor" fighter jet, designed to dominate the skies well into the 21st century, joined the U.S. combat fleet on Thursday, 20 years after it was conceived to fight Soviet MiGs over Europe. The Air Force said "initial operational capability" had been achieved by 16 of the aircraft at the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Pilots in the squadron, the Air Force's oldest in continuous operation, have been training on the F-22 for about a year. "When asked to go to war, they're ready," said the 1st Fighter...

Must see. Powerful and moving. Had to share. Raptor heritage flights http://homepage.mac.com/lightningrodpictures/iMovieTheater33.html Heritage flights vid http://homepage.mac.com/lightningrodpictures/iMovieTheater9.html

ACCORDING TO MEDIA reports, the Defense Department is considering canceling two supersonic jet fighters that are on the Pentagon's drawing board: the Air Force's F/A-22 Raptor and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. There is no doubt that even with the defense budget at historical highs, the Pentagon cannot afford the $1.5 trillion worth of weapons that the military services would like to purchase. However, although the Defense Department is correct in trying to slash the F/A-22, it is dead wrong in trying to save money by canceling the Joint Strike Fighter. The F/A-22 Raptor is the most unnecessary weapon system...

SAN DIEGO: Northrop Grumman Corporation has begun work on an F/A-22 modernization program that will add capabilities to the aircraft's communications, navigation and identification (CNI) system to enhance network-centric operations for the next-generation, air-dominance fighter weapon system. The CNI avionics are being developed by the Radio Systems business of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector, under contract to Lockheed Martin. When fully developed, the system will enable numerous critical CNI functions for the F/A-22. A key concept in the U.S. Department of Defense's vision for the future is network-centric warfare, which links sensors, communications systems and weapon systems in an interconnected...

Boeing Co.'s St. Louis-made F-15 Eagle used to be the sure thing of fighter jet procurement. Now the aging fighter is just a long shot in its own country. Jim Albaugh, chief executive of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, says the odds are against the U.S. Air Force signing a multiyear deal to buy more F-15s. That assessment isn't surprising as the Pentagon prepares to spend billions of dollars over the next few decades for the F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, two planes under development by Lockheed Martin Corp. Still, some influential members of Congress say the Air Force...