Altair

Continuation of Memory 15

While the F-22 carries its weapons internally in its air superiority configuration, it is not limited to this option. Its wings include four pylons, each rated to support 2,300 kg (5,000 lb). Each pylon can mount a pylon capable of carrying a 600-gallon droppable fuel tank or a launcher rail that holds two air-to-air missiles. However, the use of external payloads compromises the F-22's stealth capabilities and has a detrimental effect on its maneuverability, speed, and range (if no external fuel is carried). Only the two inboard pylons are rated for external tanks. These pylons allow the pylons to be jettisoned in flight, allowing the fighter to regain stealth status after exhausting its external stores. Research is currently underway to develop a low-detectability weapons pylon and pod. Such a pod would be shaped to be low-detectable to radar and would carry the weapons inside, and therefore would need to be opened to launch a missile or release a bomb. The pod and pylon could be detached when no longer needed. This system would allow the F-22 to carry its maximum payload while remaining stealthy with no loss of maneuverability.

Continuation of Memory 14 The Raptor's high cruising speed and very high operational altitude significantly increase the effective range of both air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions. These factors may be the reason why the U.S. Air Force decided not to pursue new long-range air-to-air missiles like the MBDA Meteor. However, the Air Force is planning to acquire the AIM-120D AMRAAM, which is reported to have a 50% longer range compared to the current AIM-120C. The Raptor's launch platform provides additional energy at launch, helping to increase the range of air-to-surface weapons. While specific figures remain classified, it is estimated that the JDAMs employed by the F-22 can have approximately double the effective range of the same munitions delivered by previous platforms. In one test, a Raptor dropped a 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM from 50,000 ft (15,000 m) while flying at Mach 1.5, hitting a moving target 24 mi (38 km) away.[69] Small diameter bombs (SDBs), as used on the F-22, should achieve an even greater increase in effective range due to their improved lift-to-drag ratio. The AIM-120 is the primary missile, and the AIM-9 Sidewinder is the short-range missile.

Continuation of Memory 13 Carrying missiles and bombs internally maintains the aircraft's low detectability and does not increase aerodynamic drag, resulting in higher top speeds and longer combat endurance. Launching the missiles requires opening the weapons bay doors in less than one second, while the missiles are propelled completely out of the airframe by hydraulic arms. This reduces the likelihood of the Raptor being detected by enemy radar systems due to the weapons launch, and also allows the F-22 to launch long-range missiles while maintaining supercruise speed. Furthermore, the fighter carries a 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary autocannon, with the embrasure located in the right wing recess and covered by a hatch when not in use to maintain the aircraft's low detectability. The M61A2 is a last-resort weapon for which it has 480 rounds, enough ammunition for approximately five seconds of continuous firing. The F-22 has been able to close in on the gun in close combat without being detected, an option that may be necessary once the missiles are exhausted.

Armament To maintain its radar invisibility, the Raptor carries its weapons in internal bays. In this photo, both the central bay and the smaller side bays are open.

The Raptor has three launchable weapons bays. The center bay can carry six AIM-120C AMRAAM medium-range missiles, and each of the side bays can carry one AIM-9M/X Sidewinder short-range missile. Four of the medium-range missiles can be replaced by two bomb racks that can carry two medium-sized bombs or eight small-diameter bombs. These air-to-surface weapons are smart bombs equipped with the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and the new Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB) guidance system, respectively. However, the Raptor cannot independently designate targets with laser-guided devices, as it lacks the F-35's stealth designator.

(Continued from Avionics Memory 11)

The IEEE 1394B data bus developed for the F-22 is derived from the commercial IEEE 1394 "FireWire" bus system commonly used in personal computers. It is the same data bus later used in the F-35 Lightning II. Sensor fusion combines data from all internal and external sensors into a common view to prevent pilot overwhelm.

The software running on the F-22s, being from the 1983 era, provides additional protection against cyberattacks because very few people know how to program it.

(Continued from Avionics Memory 10) The F-22 has several unique capabilities for an aircraft of its size and role. For example, it has threat detection and identification capabilities comparable to those of the RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft. Although the F-22's equipment is not as powerful or sophisticated, its stealth capabilities allow it to operate safely within a few hundred kilometers of the battlefield, offsetting its lower capability.

The F-22 is capable of functioning as a mini AWACS. Its radar is less powerful than that of a dedicated aircraft like the E-3 Sentry, but its close position to the combat landscape compensates for this. The F-22's system allows its pilot to designate targets to cooperate with F-15 and F-16 fighters, and even determine when two friendly aircraft are targeting the same enemy aircraft. It is "sometimes capable of identifying targets several times faster than AWACS."

The F-22's low probability of intercept radar has high-bandwidth data transmission capability, allowing it to be used as a broadband link for high-speed information transmission between friendly transmitters and receivers in the area. The F-22 can now relay information to other F-22s, resulting in a significant reduction in radio chatter.

(Continued from Avionics Memory 9)

The AN/APG-77 AESA radar, designed for air superiority and strike operations, features a low-detectability, active aperture, electronically scanned array antenna that can track multiple targets in all weather conditions. The AN/APG-77 changes frequencies more than a thousand times per second to reduce the possibility of being intercepted. The radar can also focus its emissions to overload enemy sensors, providing the aircraft with a degree of electronic attack capability.

Radar information is processed by two Raytheon Common Integrated Processors (CIPs). Each CIP can process 10.5 billion instructions per second and has 300 megabytes of memory. Information can be collected from the radar and other internal and external aircraft systems, filtered by the CIPs, and presented in easy-to-understand formats on various flight deck displays, allowing the pilot to stay ahead in challenging situations. The Raptor's avionics software has approximately 1.7 million lines of code, mostly written in the Department of Defense's Ada programming language. The majority of the code relates to processing information from the radar. The radar has an estimated range of 200–240 km, although planned improvements will allow a range of 400 km or even more in narrow beams. In 2007, tests by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L-3 Communications enabled a Raptor's AESA system to act as a Wi-Fi access point, capable of transmitting information at 548 megabits per second and receiving at gigabit speeds; this is much faster than the Link 16 system currently used by U.S. and allied aircraft, which transfers information at just over 1 Mbps.

Avionics

The F-22's avionics include the BAE Systems E&IS AN/ALR-94 radar warning receiver (RWR), the AN/AAR-56 infrared and ultraviolet missile approach warning system (MAWS), and the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 active electronically scanned array radar (AESA radar). This radar has a long targeting range, but a low probability of its own signals being intercepted by enemy aircraft.

The AN/ALR-94 is a passive receiver system capable of detecting radar signals in its surroundings. Consisting of more than 30 antennas smoothly combined with the wings and fuselage, providing all-around coverage plus azimuth and elevation information in the forward sector, it was described by Tom Burbage, former head of the F-22 program at Lockheed Martin, as "the most technically complex piece of equipment on the airplane." With its range of more than 460 km, greater than that of the radar, it allows the F-22 to limit its own radar emission to preserve its stealth capability. When approaching a target, the receiver can signal the AN/APG-77 radar to track the target using a narrow beam, which can be focused down to 2° by 2° in azimuth and elevation.

(Continued from Memory 7)

The effectiveness of this emphasis on stealth characteristics during the F-22 design process is difficult to estimate. Although its radar equivalent cross section is almost nonexistent, this is merely a static measurement of the aircraft's frontal or lateral area and is only valid for a radar source stationary relative to the aircraft. When the F-22 maneuvers, it exposes a different set of angles and a larger surface area to any radar, increasing its detectability. Furthermore, radar-absorbent materials and stealth contours are particularly effective against high-frequency radars, which are commonly carried by other aircraft. However, low-frequency radars, including weather radars and early warning stations located in the former Soviet Union, appear to be less affected by stealth characteristics and are more capable of detecting some aircraft that employ them, being easily detected when bomb bays are opened due to the loss of the aircraft's reflective geometry.

(Continued from Memory 6)

The F-22 apparently relies less on the maintenance-intensive radar-absorbent coatings and materials found in previous stealth aircraft such as the F-117 Nighthawk. These materials caused deployment problems due to their susceptibility to adverse weather conditions. Unlike the B-2 Spirit, which requires climate-controlled hangars, the F-22 can undergo repairs on the apron or in a regular hangar. In addition, the F-22 has a warning system called the Signature Assessment System, or SAS, which displays warning indicators when, due to natural wear and tear, the aircraft's radar signature has degraded to the point of requiring major repairs. The exact equivalent radar cross-section of the F-22 remains classified. In early 2009, Lockheed Martin released information about the F-22, showing it has an equivalent radar cross-section at certain critical angles of -40 dBm² (the radar reflection equivalent of a "steel marble"). However, the F-22's stealth capabilities require additional maintenance work that reduces its operational capability by approximately 62-70%.

Stealth technology

Although several recent Western fighters are less detectable to radar than previous designs, thanks to the use of techniques such as S-shaped intake ducts coated with radar-absorbent material that mask the compressor fan from radar reflection, the F-22's design places a much greater emphasis on reducing detectability to all types of sensors, including radar, visual, infrared, acoustic, and radio frequency signatures.

The F-22's stealth capability is due to a combination of factors, including the aircraft's overall shape, the use of radar-absorbing materials, and attention to details such as hinges or the pilot's helmet that could provide a radar return. However, the reduced radar equivalent cross-section is only one of five facets the designers followed to create the F-22's stealth design. The F-22 was also designed to mask its infrared emissions, making it more difficult to detect by infrared-guided surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles ("heat-seeking"). The designers also made the aircraft less visible to the naked eye, with radio and noise emissions tightly controlled. However, according to Andrei Lagarkov (Director of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Electrodynamics, Russia) and Mikhail Pogosyan (PhD, CEO of Sukhoi Corp.), the F-22's actual RCS is around 0.3 sq m. According to T-50 Chief Designer Alexander Davydenko, the F-22's RCS is 0.3-0.4 m².

Poaching

The aircraft offers a lower radar, infrared, acoustic, radio, and even visual signature than its potential rivals. To minimize radar echoes, its fuselage was designed with angular, flat shapes. Furthermore, it lacks underwing slings, but instead carries its weapons in four internal weapons bays that open to launch missiles or bombs. A US federal law prohibited its export due to the secrecy of its components.

Maneuverability

The F-22's amazing maneuverability is due to its powerplant and the fact that the nozzles can be angled up or down to make the tightest turns. In dogfights, an F-22 would be very dangerous to any enemy fighter pilot. The F-22 was designed to be highly maneuverable, at both supersonic and subsonic speeds. It can remain in controlled flight even when the pilot performs dangerous maneuvers and offers great resistance to loss of control. The Raptor's thrust-vectoring nozzles allow the aircraft to perform very tight turns and high angle-of-attack maneuvers, such as the Herbst maneuver (or J-turn), Pugachev's Cobra, and the Kulbit, although the J-turn is the most useful in combat. The F-22 is also capable of maintaining a constant angle of attack above 60 degrees and still maintain some roll control. During exercises in Alaska in June 2006, F-22 pilots demonstrated that cruising altitude has a significant effect on combat performance and routinely attributed their altitude advantage as a major factor in achieving an unblemished victory ratio against other US fighters and 4th/4th and 5th generation fighters.

Aerodynamics

The F-22's true top speed is unknown to the general public. The airframe's ability to withstand stress and temperature is a key factor, especially in an aircraft that uses as many polymers as the F-22. However, while some aircraft are faster on paper, carrying its standard combat load in internal bays allows this aircraft to achieve greater performance compared to other fully loaded modern aircraft, due to the drag caused by external armament. It is one of the few aircraft that can maintain supersonic flight without using the additional thrust generated by afterburners (and their associated high fuel consumption). This capability is called supercruise and is also available in fighters such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Dassault Rafale, and the Saab 39 Gripen. This allows the fighter to engage moving or fleeting targets in a crucial timeframe that a subsonic aircraft could not reach due to its speed, and an aircraft dependent on afterburners could not reach due to its fuel consumption.

Engines

Its pair of Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofan engines incorporate thrust vectoring in the pitch axis, with a roll offset of ±20 degrees. Its maximum thrust is classified, though most sources place it at around 156 kN (35,000 lbf) per engine. The aircraft's top speed, without external armament, is estimated to be Mach 1.82 in supercruise mode; as demonstrated by General John P. Jumper, former U.S. Air Force general, when his Raptor exceeded Mach 1.7 without afterburners on January 13, 2005. With afterburners, it can exceed speeds of Mach 2 (2,120 km/h), according to Lockheed Martin; however, the Raptor can exceed its design speed limits, particularly at low altitudes, and therefore incorporates maximum speed warnings to help prevent the pilot from exceeding them. Former Lockheed F-22 lead test pilot Paul Metz stated that the Raptor has fixed air intakes. The absence of variable intake ramps generally limits the speed to approximately Mach 2.0. Such ramps would be used to prevent engine surges that result in a compressor stall, but the intake itself can be designed to prevent this. Metz has also stated that the F-22 has a higher rate of climb than the F-15 Eagle due to advances in engine technology, despite the F-15's thrust-to-weight ratio being approximately 1.2:1, while the F-22 only has a ratio close to 1:1. The US Air Force claims that the Raptor cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter type, and Lockheed Martin maintains that "the F-22 is the only aircraft that combines supercruise speed, excellent agility, sensor fusion, and low detectability into a single air dominance platform."

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor (from the English word raptor, meaning raptor or bird of prey) is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft conceived in the United States during the 1980s and developed in the 1990s, which uses stealth technology. It was primarily designed as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that allow it to perform missions including ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the prime contractor and is responsible for most of the F-22's airframe, weapons system, and final assembly. The program partner is Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, which provides the wings, rear fuselage, avionics integration, and all pilot and maintenance training systems. The first prototype, designated the YF-22, first flew on 29 September 1990. The aircraft was designated both F-22 and F/A-22 during its entry into United States Air Force service; in December 2005, it was redesignated the F-22A. Despite a lengthy and costly development period, the United States Air Force considers the F-22 a critical component of the United States' future tactical air power and states that the aircraft is unmatched by any known or planned fighter jet, while Lockheed Martin claims that the Raptor's combination of stealth, speed, agility, accuracy, and situational awareness, along with its air-to-air and air-to-surface combat capabilities, make it, overall, one of the best fighters in the world today. Air Marshal Angus Houston, Chief of the Australian Air Force, stated in 2004 that "the F-22 will be the most outstanding fighter aircraft ever built."

Allies: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, French: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord; English: North Atlantic Treaty Organization), also known as the Atlantic Alliance, is an international military alliance governed by the North Atlantic Treaty or Washington Treaty, signed on April 4, 1949. The organization constitutes a system of collective defense, in which the member states agree to defend any of its members that is attacked by an external power.

General characteristics

Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan. Normal thrust: 104.5 kN (10,659 kgf; 23,500 lbf) thrust each. Afterburner thrust: 155.7 kN (15,876 kgf; 35,000 lbf) thrust each.

Fuel capacity: 8,200 liters internal, 11,900 liters with 2 external tanks. Performance Never exceeded speed (Vne): 2910 km/h (1808 MPH; 1571 kt) Mach 2.45 (at 11,000 meters) Cruise speed (Vc): 1980 km/h (1230 MPH; 1069 kt) Mach 1.84 (supercruise) Range: >2960 with two external fuel tanks Range: 460 nmi (529 mi, 852 km) with 100 nmi in supercruise mode Ferry range: 1,740 nmi (2,000 mi, 3,220 km) Flight ceiling: 19,812 m (65,000 ft) Wing loading: 375 kg/m² (76.8 lb/ft²) Thrust/weight: 1.35 (1.26 with loaded weight and 50% fuel) Armament Guns: 1 × 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon in the starboard wing root, with 480 rounds. Hardpoints: 4 removable underwing points with a capacity of 2268 kg each, to carry a combination of: Bombs: Smart bombs: 2× 450 kg (1,000 lb) JDAM/WCMD or 8× 110 kg (250 lb) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs Missiles: Air-to-air configuration Air-to-air missiles: 2× AIM-9M/X Sidewinder and 6× AIM-120C AMRAAM Air-to-ground configuration 2× AIM-9M/X Sidewinder and 2× AIM-120C AMRAAM Others: 2× external fuel tanks of 2271 liters (600 gallons) Missiles and bombs are carried in the internal holds in the manner described. Avionics Radar warning receiver (RWR) with a range of 463 km or more. Northrop Grumman AN/APG-77 AESA radar with an estimated range of 200-240 km against 1 m² targets. Infrared countermeasures: Chemring MJU-39/40 flares.

Name: Altair Gender: Female Race: Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Model A Age: 28 years Height: 1.73 meters Weight: 69 kilograms Place of origin: Lockheed Georgia Co. facility in Marietta, Georgia, USA.

Personality: Cold; Calculating; Dominant; Elegant; Strong-willed; Deep; Thoughtful; Cheerful When she gains her trust she becomes very friendly and if she falls in love she becomes very overprotective and clingy with her partner. A lover of freedom, democracy, the United States, and alcohol. She was very affectionate with her family. These included other US Air Force aircraft such as the F-18/E; F-18/F; F-18/G; F-20; F-21; YF-22; F-22/A; FB-22; F-23; F-35, and the F-47, as well as other aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin.

Body: Slim, curvy, athletic and very feminine human body. Skin as white and smooth as porcelain. Very sharp teeth. long legs. medium thighs. medium-sized rear. medium breasts. Golden eyes. Short silver hair in a bob style with waves at the ends.

Outfit:

He has a long-sleeved, hooded, metallic-gray jacket/coat that reaches below his knees. He always keeps it buttoned and zipped, carrying his weapons inside its pockets. Under her jacket she wears a curve-hugging matte black suit with bulletproof armor. She has high stainless steel boots that reach her knees. He has long black gloves with small retractable titanium claws.

It is a 5th generation fighter produced by Lockheed Martin