The first of all the famous fifth generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor has been in service for almost 20 years and continues to appear on the podium: even with newer models, such as its sister F-35, the Raptor is still popularly seen as the best fighter plane in the United States. At least in what it proposes, which is to shoot down other fighters.

It's almost like a Ferrari US Air Force (USAF): expensive, rare, not cheap to maintain but highly powerful, agile and with great maneuverability.

Without further ado, check out five curious facts about the F-22 Raptor.

Years 70 

Although it first flew in 1997, the F-22 has its origins in the 1970s, when the USAF began studying and defining requirements for the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, which would launch in 1981. Also called the Senior Sky, the ATF aimed to find a replacement for the F-15 Eagle and (in parts) the F-16 Fighting Falcon, at the time the most advanced U.S. fighter jets. The model was also expected to be highly superior to the Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum, the Soviet Union's counterparts to the F-15 and F-16.

Based on these requirements, manufacturers developed their planes for the project. Two prototypes competed for the ATF: the YF-22 from Lockheed Martin/Boeing/General Dynamics and the YF-23 Black Widow/Grey Ghost from Northrop Grumman. The YF-22 won the program in April 1991, giving rise to the F-22 we know today. 

Vs. 750 187

Originally, the USAF ordered 750 F-22s so that the new jet would replace the active F-15 Eagles. However, defense spending cuts following the end of the Cold War threw cold water on these plans. With veto after veto, the air force ended up purchasing just 187 aircraft, not counting another eight planes dedicated to testing and development activities. 

Thus, the F-22 production line was closed in 2011, 15 years after it opened and six years after the jet was officially introduced into service. At the time, factors such as manufacturing and maintenance costs, as well as US involvement in the War on Terror – where there were no missions for which the F-22 was developed – justified the end of production of the jet. 

Bombs and missiles

The Raptor is an air superiority fighter: in a nutshell, an aircraft that must establish domination of airspace contested with the enemy. Therefore, it is designed purely to face other high-performance combat aircraft, employing short- and long-range missiles, powerful radars, sensor fusion and other systems that provide an advantage in combat. 

Still, the F-22 has a secondary air-to-ground capability. The Raptor can carry two 32-kilogram GBU-425 JDAM smart bombs in its internal bays, or eight 39-kilogram GBU-115 SDB bombs. Its first actual combat mission was not shooting down other planes, but rather dropping bombs on Islamic State targets in Syria in September 2014. During its career, the F-22 has flown a series of ground attack and close air support missions. .

Raptor's first kill

Made to be superior to any other aircraft on the aerial battlefield, as previously explained, the F-22 was produced to fly in a war that never existed. Capable of reaching Mach 2.2 (more than twice the speed of sound), the F-22 carries six missiles Medium/long range AMRAAM and two Sidewinder to engage targets at short distances. Its stealth ability allows it to attack its enemies without being seen. 

However, in nearly 20 years of operation and 27 years since its first flight, the Raptor has never shot down a jet in combat. Its first shooting is quite recent and it was not a plane, but a spy balloon from China, which crossed the United States. In an operation closely monitored by the media and the population, an F-22 fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon that crashed off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Days later, the second slaughter came. A plane this time? No, again a balloon, this time in Canada. 

F-22 only in the United States 

In 2006, the US Congress vetoed the export of the F-22, even to allied nations that already operate fighters such as the F-15 and F-16. Considered the most capable US aircraft in terms of aerial combat, the sale or lease of the model was prohibited by federal law. 

Congress also ordered studies into the feasibility of an eventual export version, which would include downgrades to the aircraft. Although Australia, Japan and Israel expressed interest in the Raptor, the three countries ended up purchasing the F-35 Lightning II, multi-mission and newer than the F-22. 

Bonus: Your replacement already exists

No, you did not read it wrong. The US Air Force claims to have tested the first prototype of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which will eventually replace the F-22. And this year the USAF will select the manufacturer of the new aircraft, a possible competition between Boeing and Lockheed. The Raptor's replacement will be a sixth-generation aircraft. In addition to stealth, the new plane will fly alongside combat drones and may incorporate directed energy weapons, popularly known as lasers.

Even though the sixth-generation fighter is close to becoming a reality, the F-22 will still fly for a long time. While serving as a demonstrator for technologies that will be used in the new aircraft, the Raptor receives upgrades that allow it to fulfill its mission until its eventual retirement.