Asia Pacific Defense Forum :: Winter 2006-2007

Unveiling of the F-22A Raptor In August 2006, PACAF officials got a glimpse into the future of fighter capability during an unveiling ceremony for the command’s first F-22A Raptor in Marietta, Georgia, USA. The aircraft was the first of 36 F22As to be assigned to PACAF’s 3rd Wing at Elmendorf. By fall 2008, the 3rd Wing will have two squadrons of 18 Raptors each.

PACAF officials said that with the unveiling, the command is one step closer to ushering in a new era in fighter capability. “I’m excited about getting this incredible new air dominance capability into the Pacific,” said General Paul V. Hester, PACAF commander. “F-22s based in Alaska in the near-term and Hawaii in the mid-term demonstrate the tremendous American commitment to the region by assuring security and stability for our nation, as well as for our friends and allies. In the future, the aircraft also will be assigned to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.”

The Air Force’s newly operational Raptors were put to the test during NORTHERN EDGE 2006, a two-week joint service exercise held in Alaska in June 2006. The F-22A’s capabilities were highlighted there during several air-to-air engagements that included facing an opposing force at a four-to-one disadvantage.

Maintenance for the Raptor also set benchmarks with mission completion by having an abort rate of less than 6.4 percent of all missions flown. “Throughout the exercise we were able to see just how effective this jet can be integrating with multiple joint assets for a number of different missions,” explained U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, an F-22A pilot. “The Raptor’s success here is something that should be shared among all the services, because it means our entire force has capabilities that it didn’t have just a short time ago.”

Commenting on the Raptors capabilities, U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne, said, “The F-22 has performed excellently during exercises both in and out of the continental United States, dominating the current generation fighters, yet integrating seamlessly with ground based operations.”

F-22A General Characteristics
Primary Function:	Air dominance, multi-role fighter
Builder:	Lockheed-Martin, Boeing
Power Plant:	Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles.
Thrust (each engine):	35,000-pound class.
Length:	62 feet, 1 inch (18.9 meters).
Height:	16 feet, 8 inches (5.1 meters).
Wingspan:	44 feet, 6 inches (13.6 meters).
Speed:	Mach 2 class.
Ceiling:	Above 50,000 feet (approximately 15 kilometers).
Empty Weight:	40,000-pound class (approximately 18,000 kilograms).
Armament:	One M61A2 20-millimeter cannon with 480 rounds; side weapon bays can carry two AIM-9 infrared (heat seeking) air-to-air missiles; main weapon bays can carry (air-to-air loadout) six AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles or (air-to-ground loadout) two 1,000-pound (about 454 kilograms) GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions and two AIM-120 radar-guided air-to-air missiles.
Crew:	One

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PACAF’s first F-22A is on display during the acceptance ceremony.
Photo by John Rossino

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates receives a familiarization briefing on the F-22A Raptor from U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Burton M. Field, then Commander, 1st Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
Photo by Cherie A. Thurlby

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, an F-22A pilot, speaks with media about the capabilities of the F-22A during a press conference at Langley Air Force Base.
Photo by SSgt. Samuel Rogers, USAF