F/A-22 Background Info
Boeing is teamed with Lockheed
Martin, Pratt &
Whitney and the U.S. Air Force to
develop the F/A-22 Raptor as a replacement for the F-15.
The fast, agile, stealthy F/A-22 will take over the air superiority role
with Air Combat Command starting in 2005. The Air Force plans to procure
339 F/A-22s, and production is scheduled to run through
2013.
Mission
The F/A-22’s primary mission is
to establish absolute control of the skies over any battlefield – a
must-have in modern warfare. It provides first-look, first-shot,
first-kill capability. The F/A-22 is an air superiority fighter with much
improved capability over current Air Force aircraft. Its stealth,
supercruise ability, integrated avionics and other features will make it
the most potent fighter in the world.
Contract
Activity
A $9.55 billion contract for F/A-22 Engineering and
Manufacturing Development, or EMD, was awarded to the Lockheed
Martin/Boeing contractor team in August 1991. Contract changes since then
have elevated the contract value to approximately $15 billion. Under the
terms of the contract, the F/A-22 team is completing the design of the
aircraft, avionics and training systems, building production tooling, and
manufacturing and testing nine flight-test and two ground-test aircraft.
In December 1998, the Air Force awarded contracts to the F/A-22
contractor team totaling approximately $503 million for production of two
F/A-22 production representative test vehicle (PRTV) aircraft and
associated program support for calendar year 1999. The U.S. Air Force also
awarded a contract totaling approximately $189 million for advance
procurement for the next lot of six F/A-22 PRTV (PRTV II) aircraft.
In December 1999, the F/A-22 team was awarded contracts totaling
more than $1.5 billion to build the six additional PRTV II and associated
program support for calendar year 2000.
In September 2001, the
F/A-22 team was awarded contracts totaling more than $1.9 billion to build
the first 10 F/A-22 production aircraft (Lot 1), associated program
support for calendar year 2001, and contractor logistics support.
In 2002, the contractor team received a $2.4 billion contract to
build 13 production aircraft (Lot 2), associated program support for
calendar year 2002, and contractor logistics
support.
Raptor Unveiled, Flight Testing
Begins
The first F/A-22 built under the EMD contract was
unveiled in a ceremony on April 9, 1997, in Marietta, Ga. First flight
took place on Sept. 7, 1997, and in May 1998, Raptor 01 made its formal
entry into flight test. Raptor 03 made its first flight in March 2000 with
Boeing pilot Chuck Killberg at the controls.
Since the aircraft’s
first flight, F/A-22 Combined Test Force pilots at Edwards Air Force Base,
Calif., have surpassed 2,000 flight-test hours in more than 900 missions.
Significant flight milestones that have been met to date include
supersonic flight, in-flight refueling, weapon release and completion of
ground-vibration and angle-of-attack tests.
Avionics Integration
Boeing, responsible for
integrating the Raptor’s advanced avionics, has been testing software
“blocks” in both its avionics integration lab, or AIL, since 1998, and on
its 757 Flying Test Bed, FTB, since March 1999. Both the AIL and FTB are
helping reduce avionics risks and development costs by enabling extensive
evaluation and troubleshooting before full avionics are ever installed on
the F/A-22.
As of October 2002, Boeing has completed more than
21,000 hours of avionics testing in the AIL and 1,000 hours on the FTB.
In February 2002, Boeing delivered the Block 3.1 avionics software
package to Lockheed Martin. Block 3.1, which supplies more than 90 percent
of the total functionality planned for the F/A-22, has increased radar,
electronic warfare, and communication, navigation and identification
capability, as well as adds global positioning capability.
Two
versions of integrated avionics packages are currently being flown on four
F/A-22 flight-test aircraft.
F/A-22 Team
The F/A-22 teaming arrangement has
allowed unprecedented industry cost-sharing and taken advantage of the
different companies' strengths in advanced technology, production
capability and systems integration.
Prior to its selection as
winner of what was then known as the Advanced Tactical Fighter
competition, the F/A-22 team conducted a 54-month demonstration/validation
program. The effort involved the design, construction and flight testing
of two YF-22 prototype aircraft. Two prototype engines, the Pratt &
Whitney YF119 and General Electric YF120, also were developed and tested
during the program. The demonstration/validation program was completed in
December 1990.
Much of that work was performed by Boeing in
Seattle, Wash.; Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) in Burbank, Calif.; and
General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) in Fort Worth, Texas. The
prototypes were assembled in Lockheed's Palmdale, Calif., facility and
made their maiden flights from there. Since that time Lockheed's program
management and aircraft assembly operations have moved to Marietta, Ga.,
for the EMD and production phases.
Division of Work
Boeing in Seattle, Wash., is
responsible for the wings, aft fuselage (including the structures
necessary for engine and nozzle installation), avionics integration, 70
percent of mission software, the training system, and life-support and
fire-protection systems.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, a
division of Lockheed Martin Corporation, based in Marietta, Ga., is
responsible for program management, the integrated forebody (nose section)
and forward fuselage (including the cockpit and inlets), leading edges of
the wings, the fins and stabilators, flaps, ailerons, landing gear and
final assembly of the aircraft.
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft
Systems, based in Fort Worth, Texas, is responsible for the center
fuselage; stores management; integrated navigation and electronic warfare
systems; the communications, navigation, and identification system; and
the weapon support system.
Boeing Deliveries
As of October 2002, Boeing has
delivered 24 sets of wings and 25 aft-fuselages, as well as a number of
integrated avionics flight-test packages and updates to team partner
Lockheed Martin.
# # #
Additional F/A-22 Information
Integrated
Avionics Status
Division
of Work
Aft
Fuselage Facts
Features
Flying
Test Bed
Training
System
October 2002
CONTACT: Chick Ramey
(206)
662-0949
charles.b.ramey@boeing.com |