F-22A Raptor

The Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor is the US Air Force's most advanced fighter aircraft. It's the production version of the YF-22 Lightning II, a participant in the Advance Tactical Fighter challenge put forth by the Air Force to find a replacement for the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and its variants. It incorporates the latest aerospace and stealth technologies, making it the deadliest fighter aircraft in existence.

History
The F-22 Raptor is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world. It employs the latest aerospace technologies and is capable of performing many functions, from border patrol and fighter escort to deep infiltration and surgical strikes. Though classified as a fighter, its true potential meets numerous criteria.

Conception
The Raptor's lineage can be traced back to the 1980s with the Advanced Tactical Fighter program, of which its predecessor was a part. The project began in 1985 when the US Air Force requested a replacement for the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter, then 15 years old and approaching the limit of enhancement. America's largest aviation companies were approached to create the next-generation fighter aircraft for the US military. Lockheed Martin paired with Boeing and General Dynamics, while Northrop Grumman teamed up with McDonnell Douglas. The challenge was to construct an aircraft with stealth and aerodynamics in mind, and the winning design would net its parent comany a $780 million contract for development.

Over a period of five years, both companies competed for possession of the contract. Each produced one aircraft: McDonnell Douglas explored the possibilities of a stealthy and aerodynamic frame that employed a relatively new control surface called a ruddevator, which combined rudders and elevators; Lockheed Martin favored the more traditional approach, retaining the separate horizontal and vertical tailplanes. The prototype from each company was allowed a series of test flights to see how it handled, and in the end, Lockheed Martin's design won out on the basis that it had better stability in flight, though the overall outline of the aircraft was less stealthy.

This problem, however, was remedied by using a technique known today as plane alignment. In this technique, the leading edges of the aircraft's air intakes and flight surfaces are aligned to give the fuselage a smaller overall radar signature and all the armaments are internal, thus retaining stealthiness and aerodynamics while reducing drag and increasing the aircraft's overall performance. The two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines were augmented with thrust-vectoring nozzles to aid in maneuverability, a frameless bubble canopy allows the pilot unobstructed visibility and various radar-absrobing materials in the paint lend greater evasion capabilities.

Deployment
The F-22 entered official service in 2005 with the US Air Force, which has an order of 182 aircraft in place. This is no small request: Each aircraft costs an average of $150 million; multiply that by 182 and you get the total cost for the planned F-22 fleet. Currently, the US Air Force is the only operator of the F-22 Raptor, and a ban on exporting the aircraft is in effect, as the aircraft's prohibitive expense would make it difficult to replace. It is in operation with several squadrons of the Pacific and Atlantic mainland defense forces.

Legacy
The F-22A originally was not alone in its place with the US Air Force. Several versions were planned for future production: The F-22B two-seater and the FB-22 Strike Raptor surgical precision bomber. Only the former made it off the drawing board, and was cancelled to save production costs.

Specifications
The Raptor's specifications are among the most advanced in aviations history. It's flight and combat systems are unrivaled, and its BVR (beyond visual range) lock-on capabilities give it lethal ability in a combat engagement. Its combination of a smooth airframe, radar-absorbant paint and aligned planes give it a threefold advantage in battle.
 * Dimensions (length, height, wingspan): 62'1"x16'8"x44'6"
 * Maximum Speed (cruise, combat): 1220 mph (1963 kph, 1016 knots); 1500 mph (2410 kph, 1250 knots)
 * Maximum Range (combat, nonstop): 471 miles (759 km); 1840 miles (2960 km)
 * Operational Ceiling: 65,000 feet (19,812 m)
 * Turning Radius: 2250 feet (681 m)
 * Weight (empty, loaded): 43,430 lbs (19,700 kg); 64,460 lbs (29,300 kg)
 * Powerplant: 2xPratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 thrust-vectoring afterburning turbofans
 * Crew: 1

Armament
The idea of internal weapons is not new. The first recorded appearance of internally-stored armament was on a British Type O bomber aircraft during World War I, but the idea has been refined using modern technologies and systems. They are now almost undetectable to radar.
 * 1xGeneral Electric M61A1 Vulcan 20mm cannon
 * 2xAIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air heatseeker
 * 4xAIM-7 Sparrow medium-range air-to-air multitarget radar-homing
 * 6xAIM-120 AMRAAM long-range multipurpose multitarget radar-homing
 * 2xGPB-86 JDAM 1000 lb guided deep-penetration bomb
 * 8xGBU-39 250 lb small diameter freefall bomb
 * 3xMk 77 self-guided, self-propelled submunition dispenser

Air Combat 22
In Air Combat 22, the F-22A is one of the three playable aircraft at the start of the game. The title name also makes its eponymous debut in the series.

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
"Exceptional fighter characterized by its great mobility, payload, stealth, thrust vectoring and supercruise."

- Hangar description

In Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies, the F-22A is the Mobius One's aircraft of choice. Its a high-tier fighter aircraft, rivaling with the best planes available on the game. It's seen for the first time during "Breaking Arrows" as enemy aircraft, appearing later in the "Whiskey Corridor" and "Siege of Farbanti". In "Megalith", it can be seen used by members of Mobius Squadron. It is unlocked after the completion of the mission "Whiskey Corridor", along with the Su-37 and the F-15 ACTIVE, at the price of $643,000 credits. The Raptor is a Fighter-type aircraft which possesses high Air-to-Air and Mobility statistics. It is a very stable and fast aircraft and have a considerable Air-to-Ground capabilities.

It is armed with 74 standard missiles and a Vulcan cannon with 850 rounds. For the special weapons selection, the player can choose from 22 Advanced Medium-range Air-to-Air Missiles or 08 Guided Penetration Bombs.

Aces

 * Abell
 * 118th Tactical Fighter Wing "Mobius"

Colors

 * Color 1: Mobius Squadron livery.
 * Color 2: Dark gray paintscheme. Costs $643,000.
 * Color 3: Matte black paint scheme. Costs $ 836,000.

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War
"With a combination of stealth capabilities and superior maneuverability of its thrust vectoring nozzles, the 'Raptor' lives up to its name as the ultimate air superiority fighter."

- Hangar description.

In Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War, the F-22A is depicted as a high-tier combat aircraft. Known as F/A-22A in-game, the plane is a very capable air superiority fighter. It is rarely faced by the player, being seen only at the end of the campaign with both enemy and allied units. It is the default aircraft of the arcade mode "Operation Katina".

As a player aircraft, is unlocked after completing "Journey Home", at the cost of $24,000 credits per unit. Capitalizing its great Air-to-Air power, the plane comes with sixteen Advanced Mediun-range Air-to-Air missiles as special weapon.

The F/A-22A is the only aircraft that is unlocked by solely completeing missions that uses the XMAA as its special weapon.

Colors

 * OS: Two-tone gray camouflage.
 * Razgriz paint scheme.
 * SP: Mobius Squadron livery. Unlocked after completion of Operation Katina.

Ace Combat Advance
The Raptor makes a brief appearance as an enemy aircraft operated by General Resource's Air Strike Force.

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War
"A fighter with stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability. Designed to relieve much of the pilot's burden, the 'Raptor' represents a new generation of air superiority."

- Hangar description.

In Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, the Raptor retained most of its characteristics from the previous game. As enemy plane, it can be encountered flown by the enemy ace Selig "Bervogel" Stahl during the "Soldier" ace style of "Mayhem". A second F-22 ace named Jakob "Adler" Pfeiffer can be found during "Operation Broom" while playing as Mercury Strike Team. The last ace named Rainer "Ritter" Walter is present in The Valley of Kings, as well as regular enemy units using Raptors.

During the special mission "The Gauntlet", if the player manages to shoot down Espada Team in less than one minute, an F-22 flown by Mobius One will appear as the last enemy.

The F/A-22A is unlocked after successful completion of campaign mode in any Ace Style or difficulty setting. The player can obtain it for $181,000 credits. As a Fighter-type aircraft, it has solid Air-to-Air capabilities, bearing great maneuverability, speed and stability. It has a considerable Air-to-Ground performance. The special weapons selection allows the player to choose between XMAAs, Guided Penetration Bombs and Stand Off Dispensers.

Curiously, unlike the F-35C, YF-23A, F-117A and B-2A, in this game don't have stealth technology.

Aces

 * Bervogel
 * Adler
 * Ritter
 * Mobius

Colors

 * Standard: Two-tone gray camouflage.
 * Mercenary: Jet black paint scheme.
 * Soldier: Mobius Squadron livery.
 * Knight: Tree-tone (green/brown/gray) camouflage.
 * Special: YF-22's paint scheme.

Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion
In Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion, the F-22A is included in version 1.1.0 and can be obtained exclusively via download, at the cost of $0.99 or ¥115.

Ace Combat: Joint Assault
"A fighter with both stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability."

- Hangar description

In Ace Combat: Joint Assault, the F-22A Raptor can be unlocked after clearing Ghost Hunt. In addition to normal missiles, it can be equipped with XMAA, QAAM, or SOD.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
"This ultimate stealth fighter is the pride of the U.S. Armed Forces. Aside from flight performance, it has top class acceleration performance and a two-dimensional thrust deflect nozzle which also gives it outstanding maneuverability. Its preemptive strike power, called "first lock, first shoot, first kill," is fitting for an aircraft with the name "Raptor", the master of the skies."

- Hangar description 

In Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, the F-22A is official aircraft of United States Air Force. it used first time during Nightmare, but can unlocked after mission Launch.

Ace Combat Infinity
In Ace Combat Infinity, the Raptor is seen flying with an F-16C Fighting Falcon and F-35B Lightning II in Teaser 02.

Comparable Aircraft

 * F-35B Lightning II / F-35C Lightning II
 * YF-23A Black Widow II
 * PAK-FA
 * Su-47 Berkut
 * MiG-1.44
 * X-02 Wyvern
 * CFA-44 Nosferatu
 * F-3 Shinden II

Trivia

 * The United States Air Force plans to have 187 Raptors in their inventory by 2012. No other real world Air Force flies the Raptor.
 * The F-22A, EF-2000, and F-16 variants share the highest record of twelve appearances in Ace Combat games.
 * In Ace Combat 2 the model is that of the YF-22, the prototype of the F-22, rather than the actual, series production F-22. The reason is probably that the game was finished before the series production F-22 was ready.
 * The fifth color for the F-22 in Ace Combat: Joint Assault is the same as the last two Orgoi aircraft seen in the same game. It was likely that the Golden Axe Plan Private Army intended to field the F-22A for use as a carrier fighter on board the Orgoi, but for some reason cancelled the plan.
 * The image with the caption: 'An F-22 dodging debris from an enemy aircraft' shows a tailcode of TY rather than FF. TY is the tailcode of Tyndall Air Force Base, which was home to the first operational F-22 fighter squadron, the 43rd Fighter Squadron, tasked with training pilots on flying the F-22. FF indicates the 1st Fighter Wing, the Fighting First, from which the tall number is derived, is the first operational wing of F-22s consisting of 40 frontline F-22s.
 * While the PAK-FA is on Assault Horizon as the best Multirole aircraft, the F-22 is the best in the fighter category. The F-22 is also the only American fighter capable of Kulbit turns and Pugachev's Cobra aside from Russian planes.
 * The F-22A is the most recurring aircraft on Ace Combat cover art, and is the choice aircraft of playable characters Scarface One, Mobius One, Gryphus One, Antares One, and William Bishop.