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The F/A-22 Raptor is a highly maneuverable, stealthy fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. It was originally envisioned as an air-superiority aircraft but is equipped for ground attack, electronic attack, and signals-intelligence roles as well.
Intended to be the leading United States advanced tactical fighter in the early part of the 21st century, the Raptor is certainly the most expensive fighter ever. The Pentagon concluded in 2004, that the total development and production cost of the currently planned 279 aircraft will come to $71.7 billion, or $256.9 million per plane. Some say the estimate should be somewhat lower because some research and development support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as well.
The prototype YF-22 Lightning II won a fly-off competition against the Northrop/McDonnell-Douglas YF-23 for the Advanced Tactical Fighter contract. In April, 1992, during flight testing after contract award, the first YF-22A prototype crashed while landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The test pilot was not injured and the cause of the crash was a software issue. The name "Lightning II" persisted until the mid-1990s, and for a short while, the plane was also dubbed "Rapier".
The F-22 became the "Raptor" when the first production plane was unveiled on April 9, 1997, at Lockheed-Georgia Co., Marietta, Georgia. First flight occurred in September. In 2002, Air Force leaders changed the Raptor's designation to F/A-22. The new designation, which mimicked that of the Navy's F/A-18 Hornet, indicated that the Raptor would have some capability for ground strikes.
The first production F/A-22 was delivered to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, on January 14, 2003. As of late 2004, 51 Raptors are in service with 22 more ordered under fiscal year 2004 funding. F/A-22 DIOT&E (Dedicated Initial Operational Test and Evaluation) occurred on October 27, 2004. The first production F/A-22 crash occurred at Nellis Air Force Base on December 20, 2004, during takeoff. The pilot ejected safely moments before impact. As of April, 2005, the accident is still under investigation but investigators are pointing to a software malfunction, not pilot error. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is scheduled to occur around December, 2005.
Source: http://www.flightlevel350.com/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_aircraft_facts.html
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