F-22A Raptor

The F-22A Raptor is a fifth-generation air superiority fighter aircraft manufactured by. One of the most advanced aircraft in the inventory of the United States Air Force, it represents the pinnacle of modern aviation by incorporating the latest aerospace and stealth technology.

Strangereal
In the Strangereal world, the F-22A saw a much earlier development under the Advanced Tactical Fighter program, having entered active service at some point in the late 20th century as the F/A-22A.

The earliest deployment of Raptors in live combat was by Belka during the Belkan War, operating in limited numbers and flown by high ranking pilots. The most successful Raptor pilot was Jakob Pfeiffe, who gained the alias of "Ghost Bird of the Hydrian Line" for his actions over Glatisant. He was killed in action over Anfang on 19 June 1995, the day of Belka's capitulation, while fighting alongside dissidents opposed to Waldemarr Rald's surrender.

In the aftermath of the war, it was adopted as a high-level fighter by various nations of the world such as the Osean Federation, and would become associated with renowned aces across various conflicts, such as Phoenix in the 1998 Usean Continental War, Mobius One in the Continental War and Gryphus One in the Aurelian War. Despite the advent of advanced technologies such as optical stealth, the Raptor retained its position as a top-class fighter into the 21st century, being equaled only by the X-02 Wyvern of Erusea.

Assault Horizon
The F-22A was developed by the United States in the 1980s to replace the F-15 Eagle in countering aviation developments in the Soviet Union. The aircraft was conceived in the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition set by the US government, which demanded a mix of stealth and high maneuverability.

The prototype of the F-22A, the YF-22 Lightning II, defeated Northrop Grumman's YF-23A Black Widow II in August 1991 at the conclusion of the ATF project, earning Lockheed the right to develop a final production model for the United States Air Force. The aircraft was unveiled in early 1997 and entered service with the USAF in 2005.

During the 2015-2016 civil war in Russia, F-22s operated by the Warwolf Squadron of Task Force 108 saw action during the liberation of Moscow, and again during Andrei Markov's attack on the eastern United States. The United States Air Force modified certain Raptors for special activities, including a variant designed to break speed records and a testbed for artificial intelligence systems known as Righteous.

Game analysis
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies=
 * DESCRIPTION
 * Exceptional fighter characterized by its great mobility, payload, stealth, thrust vectoring and supercruise.


 * AVAILABILITY
 * Complete "Whiskey Corridor". Costs $643,000.


 * STATISTICS
 * Speed: High
 * Air-to-Air: High
 * Air-to-Ground: High
 * Mobility: High
 * Stability: High
 * Defense: High


 * WEAPONS
 * Machine Gun x850
 * Missile x74
 * Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile x22
 * Precision Guided Bomb x8


 * COLORS
 * Standard: Air superiority gray.
 * Enemy: Dark gray body.
 * Special: Black body. Priced at $836,000.


 * NAMED PILOTS
 * Mobius One
 * Mobius Squadron
 * Abell (Erusea)

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War=
 * DESCRIPTION
 * 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.


 * AVAILABILITY
 * Complete the campaign mission "Journey Home" or complete Arcade Mode once in any route. Costs $24,000 per aircraft.


 * STATISTICS
 * Speed: High
 * Mobility: High
 * Stability: High
 * Defense: Medium
 * Air-to-Air: High
 * Air-to-Ground: Medium


 * WEAPONS
 * Missile x82
 * Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile x16


 * COLORS
 * Osea: Air superiority gray.
 * RZ
 * Special: Mobius One livery. Unlocked with aircraft if Arcade Mode is completed once.


 * NAMED PILOTS
 * Mobius One


 * GALLERY

Trivia

 * In the early stages of development of Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, the F-22A bore the "TY" tailcode of Tyndall Air Force Base. Tyndall is the home to the 43rd Fighter Squadron, the first operational Raptor squadron. The final tailcode, FF, represents the 1st Fighter Wing ("Fighting First"), the first wing of the USAF that operates the aircraft.
 * 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.
 * While the T-50 PAK-FA is on Assault Horizon as the best Multirole aircraft, the F-22 is the best in the fighter category.
 * 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.
 * The default Color 5 of the F-22A in Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy seems to be based on Japanese Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, whom uses the same color design for her most common outfit.
 * One of the Color Schemes of the F-22A(Leasath-White and Black) is based on the YF-22 color scheme (s/n 87-0700, N22YF).