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United States Lockheed Martin
F-22A Raptor
Twin-engine fifth-generation air-superiority fighter combining stealth, supercruise and thrust-vectoring agility, widely regarded as the most capable air-dominance fighter ever fielded. Production ended in 2011 after 195 aircraft, and export was barred by U.S. law, keeping it exclusive to the USAF.
In service since 2005 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-01
2,410
km/h
2,960
km range
19,812
m ceiling
2,270
kg payload
1.08
T/W
💲 ≈ $143,000,000 — Flyaway cost, program average
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 2005. Status: active · ~195 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$358M – $501M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Overview
The F-22A Raptor is the world's first operational fifth-generation fighter and remains the benchmark for air superiority: it pairs very-low-observable stealth with supercruise, thrust-vectoring agility and a powerful sensor suite. Designed during the Cold War's final years to dominate contested airspace, it can fly supersonically without afterburner and carries its air-to-air weapons internally to preserve its low radar signature.
Production ended in 2011 after only about 187 aircraft, a far smaller fleet than originally planned, and the Raptor was never exported. That scarcity makes each airframe a prized, tightly husbanded asset, and the US Air Force is balancing costly upgrades against the type's eventual replacement by the Next Generation Air Dominance programme.
The Raptor has seen combat use in air-to-ground strikes over Syria and long served on high-end deterrence patrols, from intercepting Russian aircraft near Alaska to escorting and controlling contested airspace in Middle Eastern operations. Its enduring role is less about numbers than about guaranteeing air dominance in the opening phase of any major conflict, a capability few other platforms can match.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 2,410 km/h Stronger than 82% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 2.25 Mach Stronger than 80% of fighters
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 1,960 km/h
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 2,960 km Stronger than 44% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 850 km Stronger than 45% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 19,812 m Stronger than 87% of fighters
- Rate of climb
How fast the aircraft gains altitude. Higher means better energy recovery in combat.
- 254 m/s Stronger than 31% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 1.08 Stronger than 75% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 8 Stronger than 31% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 2,270 kg Bottom 3% of fighters
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
- Countermeasures
Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers.
- AN/ALR-94 electronic warfare suite, AN/ALE-52 chaff/flare dispensers
- Signature reduction
Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified.
- Very low observable airframe with radar-absorbent coatings and internal weapons bays
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 18.92 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 13.56 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 5.08 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 19,700 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 29,410 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 2x Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofans with thrust vectoring
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 2
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 156 kN Top 6% of fighters
- Fuel capacity
Internal fuel volume.
- 8,200 L
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- AN/APG-77 AESA
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- AN/AAR-56 missile launch detector, helmet-mounted cueing (planned upgrade)
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- IFDL, Link 16 (receive only)
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $143,000,000 Bottom 2% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 195 Stronger than 45% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 1 Stronger than 23% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Lockheed Martin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-01.
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Dassault Aviation Rafale F4 Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor has a maximum speed of 2,410 km/h.
What is the range of the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor has a maximum range of 2,960 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor can carry up to 2,270 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor weigh? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor has a combat weight of 29,410 kg.
How many crew does the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor require? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor's primary weapon is the 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon.
What engine does the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor use? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is powered by the 2x Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofans with thrust vectoring.
What is the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor used for? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, multirole combat, deep strike.
How many countries operate the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor cost? +
The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor has an approximate unit cost of 143,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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