The United States began the largest deployment of F-22 fighters to Romania via the Black Sea to support the allies in Eastern Europe. The fighter was developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics and is the first and so far the only fifth-generation fighter in service.
The F-22 Raptor (eng. raptor - bird of prey) is a fifth-generation multi-role fighter designed to replace the fourth-generation American all-weather fighter F-15 Eagle (eng. eagle - eagle). To date, the F-22 is the most expensive fighter in the world, depending on the equipment, the cost of one combat vehicle can reach up to $150 million.
In addition to modern avionics, the fighter has new digitally controlled engines.
Serial production of the F-22 began in 2001. January 14, 2003 the first F-22 entered the military base"Nellis", located in the Nevada desert.
By 2004, a total of 51 aircraft had been built.
In 2006, for the first time completely switched to new fighters warhead- 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron, stationed at Langley Air Force Base.
In 2006, it was planned to purchase 384 aircraft to equip seven combat duty squadrons, but in 2008 the purchase plan was reduced to 188 aircraft, 127 of which were already built. The economic crisis and the huge cost of the aircraft forced the US government to abandon the purchase of this fighter and focus on the F-35.
On December 13, 2011, the last serial F-22A fighter with tail number 10-4195 was produced in the assembly shop of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
A total of 195 such fighters have been produced since 1997.
What is unique about the F-22?
The fighter is based on the principle of ensuring increased survivability "First look - first kill" (first discovered - first hit). Stealth technologies were used for this. In addition, to reduce the visibility of the aircraft, its weapons are placed in the internal compartments. To reduce the weight of the fighter, titanium was used, which makes up 41% of the weight of the airframe.
Due to its low visibility and long-range radar, the F-22 ensures the interception of air targets at acceptable distances, without requiring engagement in air combat.
Specifications
- Aircraft length: 18.90 m
- Aircraft height: 5.09 m
- Wing area: 78.04 m²
- V.O. area: 16.54 m²
- G. O. area: 12.63 m²
- Crew: 1 person
- Empty weight: 19,700 kg
- Normal takeoff: 29,200 kg (100% fuel)
- Maximum: 38,000 kg
- Normal: 1116 kg
- Maximum: 10,370 kg
- The composition of materials in the design of the airframe:
- Aluminum alloys: 16%
- Titanium alloys: 39%
- Composites: 24%
- Engine: 2x Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan
- Maximum speed: 2410 km / h - maximum
- Maximum speed without afterburner: 1960 km / h
- Cruise speed: 850 km/h
- Flight range: 3220 km
- Combat radius: 760 km
- Practical ceiling: 20,000 m
Armament:
- Armed with a 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon, 480 rounds, air-to-air missiles: six AIM-120C AMRAAM and two AIM-9M Sidewinder.
- The F-22 is also compatible with the SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) GBU-39 and SDB-53/B guided precision bombs.
- The fighter is capable of launching missiles and dropping bombs from internal compartments at supersonic speeds.
A legend about a daring flight of design ideas, lost money and unfulfilled hopes. A hymn to the greatness of the human mind and a parable about the insane paths technical progress sometimes takes. A saga about how the timid outlines of truth melt in the fog of human delusions. A parabola about greed and gullibility that go hand in hand for centuries, fueled by the unrealizable human dream of a "philosopher's stone" and a "perpetual motion machine".
All this is a "fifth generation" fighter. The myth of a fantastic winged ship that will bring the laurels of victory to the feet of those who can build such a machine.
No other aircraft in the history of aviation has been presented with such pomp as the formidable Raptor fighter. Merciless fury of heaven. The absolute technical superiority of the US Air Force. A miraculous remedy for winning any wars. Invisible and destructive, bringing death to anyone who dared to "raise a hand" against its creators.
The paradox is that to date, not one of the 187 "fifth generation" fighters has taken part in hostilities. It would be normal if wars stopped on Earth - but since 2003, when the first production F-22 arrived at Nellis Air Force Base, the world has been rocked by many conflicts - US Air Force aircraft have made tens of thousands of sorties, sweeping two states off the face of the Earth.
Excuses related to "excessive power of the aircraft" and "inadequate conditions local conflicts purpose of the F-22" can only infuriate the American taxpayers: the military spent $ 60 billion on the creation of an aircraft for which there are no suitable tasks!
Comparison of the F-22 with nuclear weapons does not pass - "Raptor" does not have even a fraction of the stopping effect of the Strategic Nuclear Forces. Unlike the Tridents and Minutemen, this is a purely tactical weapon designed to solve the pressing problems of our time. But alas...
US Air Force pilots prefer to carry bombs and dominate the air using proven F-15s and F-16s.
It turns out easier, cheaper, and most importantly - no worse than when using a "fifth generation" fighter.
Much more fun is another fact: the F-22 will most likely be of little use in solving "serious tasks." Until now, disputes about the stealth of the aircraft have not subsided - experts lament that the Raptor, most likely, will not be able to work effectively in the coverage area of the S-300 anti-aircraft systems.
Here you should ask a simple poll: What did you expect? Twelve guidance channels. Six speeds of sound. The mass of the warhead is 150 kg. A solid set of radars and detection systems capable of detecting air targets at ranges of hundreds of kilometers.
Climbing ahead into the S-300 coverage area is pure suicide. And no Raptor is a panacea here - the US Air Force pilots will refuse to get into the cockpit, and the one who gave the order to break through enemy air defense with the help of the Raptors will face a tribunal.
What do we "Raptor"! Throwing hats?
Not at all. The 300th anti-aircraft complex is a really serious weapon, even venerable foreign experts admit this. Another thing is that to break through the S-300 barrier, a “fifth generation” uber-aircraft is not at all necessary.
Is that how it is?
Brute force and nothing more. The detected positions of the air defense system are crushing in a simple way: a volley of HARM anti-radar missiles aimed at sources of radio emission. The missiles are launched along a ballistic trajectory, on homing - while the carrier aircraft themselves remain outside the range of the air defense system, and the number of Kharms fired usually goes into the thousands.
Dumb-headed "Kharmas" will kill all microwaves and radio transmitters in the area, but several of them will definitely explode near the radar anti-aircraft complex, taking him out of the game. Even if the operator, sensing something was wrong, has time to turn off the radar, the Harm will remember the last coordinates of the radiation source and continue its mournful path in the direction of the intended target.
The explosive cocktail of "Kharmov" is abundantly flavored with Tomahawk cruise missiles, flurries of electronic interference, UAVs and sabotage groups of special forces.
Launch of the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radar Missile (HARM) anti-radar missile
A very rude, costly and dirty trick - but this is the only way to break through modern air defense. This is the scenario we observed in all conflicts recent years- both Gulf Wars, Yugoslavia, Libya.
Only when the command is convinced of the incapacity of the enemy air defense system, do the "carriers of democracy" invade the airspace - hundreds of combat aircraft of the air forces of the NATO countries. Regular F-15s and F-16s.
The F-22 Raptor Über was out of work again. As well as its counterpart B-2 "Spirit". The super-capabilities of these machines are simply not in demand.
Who are you, fifth generation fighter?
Modern pilots have everything - supersonic aircraft capable of automatically breaking through to the target, almost breaking the tree crowns with their wings. Fantastic sighting systems capable of distinguishing a woman from a man, an armed man from a peaceful inhabitant from the stratosphere, or to see the thermal trace of a passing car - the sensitivity of these systems is amazing. Jet combat vehicles can fly across the continent in a matter of hours, and their combat load exceeds that of strategic bombers from World War II. Incredible aerobatics, controlled missile weapon, optical-electronic defensive complexes and jamming systems.
The question is: Guys, what else do you need? Immortality and infinite ammo?
Of course, progress does not stand still - the fourth generation of fighters must be replaced by the fifth. But what exactly is the "fifth generation" different? And here, even the most daring theorists experience a collapse of consciousness.
Stealth!
So far, no one has succeeded in making the aircraft absolutely invisible - the techniques of stealth technology are in clear contradiction with the laws of aerodynamics. Work to partially reduce visibility is not of decisive importance - the risk of being detected is still high.
Paradoxically, measures to radically reduce visibility can be implemented on aircraft of the previous generation - confirmed in practice: serial Super Hornet fighters, promising F-15SE Silent Eagle and Silent Hornet aircraft.
F-15SE Silent Eagle.
"Influxes" on the engine nacelles - internal compartments for weapons. The tail unit has been changed - the keels are deflected to the sides for better dispersion of radio waves
Supermaneuverability! Tell us about her Su-27 and its modification Su-35.
Multifunctionality! Tell the creators of the F-15E Strike Eagle about it.
Supersonic cruising speed without afterburner!
Can. It will require "only" heavy-duty (and voracious) engines. In principle, the only significant difference between the "fifth generation". Another question is how great is the need for such abilities? And the price paid is not too high?
Analyzing the requirements for the "fifth generation", it becomes obvious - they are literally "taken from the ceiling." What could really come in handy: unmanned control in air combat, absolute invisibility for any means of detecting the enemy - are still attributes of science fiction. Same as offering modern industry under the guise of a "new generation fighter" - nothing more than an extremely complex and super-expensive machine, whose tasks are duplicated by conventional aircraft with much greater efficiency (cost / result).
Here it would be possible to put an end to it, if not for one important circumstance:
Fighters "fifth generation" really exist! But that has nothing to do with the F-22 Raptor.
Who are these mysterious machines? "Dry" PAK FA? Chinese J-20 prototype?
No, a new generation of fighters appeared long before the creation of the PAK FA. It was a long systemic process that took its final form about 20 years ago.
The aircraft itself has not undergone any changes - the engines, the airframe - everything has remained the same. Maybe it's all about avionics - the high-tech "stuffing" of the aircraft? And again, by. Radar stations, INS, "fly-by-wire" (wire control system) - no cardinal changes were noted here. Increasing the performance of on-board computers and the emergence of "glass cockpits" did not lead to a revolution in the aircraft industry. What generation the aircraft belongs to - 4+ or 4++ does not matter as much as it is commonly believed.
The changes affected, first of all, organizational issues- new tactics and special techniques made it possible to dramatically increase the power of modern aviation.
What does all this mean, comrades? Meet our first guest:
KC-10 "Extender" (extension) - an air tanker based on the passenger airliner DC-10. 11 fuel tanks, 90 tons of aviation fuel. The tanker is designed to interact with tactical aircraft: a telescopic fueling rod and a hose-cone system make it possible to transfer fuel to any of the military aircraft of NATO countries. The capacity of the filling system is 5678 l / min (rod) and 1590 l / min (hose-cone). The tanker is capable of simultaneously transferring fuel to three aircraft. In the upper part of the fuselage there is a neck for refueling the tanker himself.
240 air tankers (500 including National Guard and the Air Force Reserve) is where the source of the strength of the US Air Force hides.
"Elephant Parade" Tankers KC-135 at Mildenhall Air Force Base (UK)
To hell with the Raptor fighters! Refueling systems open up absolutely fantastic prospects for tactical aviation: an armada of tankers allows you to quickly group forces and deliver a massive strike at any point on the planet. Patrol over any region of the Earth or " air bridge"for the emergency transfer of troops to another hemisphere ... Refueling systems are installed on almost all American aircraft - combat fighters and bombers, early warning aircraft, transport vehicles, helicopters. Experiments are underway with drones.
To date, the Russian Air Force has 19 Il-78 air tankers (based on the Il-76 military transport aircraft). Also, Su-24 front-line bombers (UPAZ-1A Sakhalin suspended refueling unit) can be used as air tankers.
Pilots of the bomber aviation squadron of the air base of the Western Military District (ZVO), after an 18-year break, performed flights with refueling in the air
- Head of the Department of Information Support of the Press Service of the Western Military District for the Baltic Fleet Vladimir Matveev, December 2012
Let's be objective: how many pilots of the Russian Air Force are able to refuel in the air at night? In total radio silence? After all, these are standard tricks of American pilots.
Russian media and official sources regularly publish sensational comparisons between the Raptor and the Russian PAK FA. It is simply amazing how notorious the "fifth generation" fighters have become - aircraft that have not made a single sortie and are of dubious value in the realities of modern conflicts. At the same time, aerial refueling systems - one of the pillars on which the modern air force is based - receive extremely little attention.
star cluster
Our next guest, although he does not belong to the fighter aviation cohort, demonstrates the real priorities of the American air force. This aircraft is never shown on TV, and the Discovery and Strike Force programs are not filmed about it. Unlike the advertised Raptors, he always remains in the shadows. While the F-22 and PAK FA are posing at air shows, this machine is quietly doing its responsible job: the demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East, the border regions of Iran, North Africa These are her areas of responsibility.
Ordinary US Air Force transport aircraft? No, this is E-8 Joint STARS (Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System) - aviation complex long-range surveillance and target designation, designed to recognize and classify ground targets at any time of the day under any weather conditions, as well as to coordinate combat operations and two-way exchange of information with ground forces in real time. Scout and air command post rolled into one.
In the event of a real armed conflict, you need to “bring down” it first of all - otherwise this bastard will figure out and hand over everyone. Gee Stars patrols at a distance of several tens of kilometers from the battlefield, scanning the area with an AN / APY-3 side-looking radar, thermal imagers and high-resolution cameras - dozens of operators aboard Gee Stars continuously monitor enemy movements, promptly warning their own troops about possible ambushes, evacuation directions and any change in the situation. There is an assumption that it was G Stars who calculated the cortege of Colonel Gaddafi.
Detection, control of ground units, multi-channel satellite communications, signal relaying and control of drones - there are no analogues of this aircraft in the world.
To date, the US Air Force has a dozen and a half E-8 "Gee Stars". And it matters much more than the notorious Raptor fighter jets. Alas, no work is underway to create analogues of the American Gee Stars - everyone is busy discussing the "fifth generation" fighter.
Game set "Young Scout"
Versatility is a mandatory quality of modern combat aviation.
But for those who are preparing for dogfight, there is no need to carry ballast with you in the form of an aiming system for working on ground targets (for example, the LANTIRN system weighs half a ton)!
On the other hand, during an attack mission, LANTIRN is indispensable - the complex allows you to make supersonic throws at extremely low altitude, detect and identify point ground targets. At any time of the day, in difficult weather conditions.
How to solve a difficult dilemma?
The solution was the ingenious concept of quick-release suspension kits. Aiming and navigation containers, reconnaissance equipment, conformal fuel tanks, electronic warfare modules, towed trap systems, mounts, locks and wide range hanging weapons for all occasions. All systems are mounted on standard external suspension units and do not require changes in design.*
*excluding conformal fuel tanks
My name is Quasimodo!
Ugly humps on the back of the F-16 are conformal fuel tanks that turn the plane into a strategic bomber
This approach provides the aircraft with exceptional versatility and helps improve precisely the capabilities that are required for each specific mission. Removable modules can be combined in any order, the same blocks can be hung on different types of aircraft (standardization and economy!), and if necessary, it is easy to replace a damaged or faulty block with a new one (simplicity, ease of operation). At the same time, after installing the sighting and navigation container, any F-16 acquires detection capabilities comparable to the F-22 and F-35 superplanes.
As a result, we get a relatively simple platform aircraft and a removable set of equipment. This concept has brilliantly proven itself in all the wars of recent years. Hanging containers LITENING, LANTIRN and SNIPER XR are successfully used on all types of fighters, attack aircraft and strategic bombers of NATO countries.
Navigation AN / AAQ-13 and sighting AN / AAQ-14 containers of the LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) system.
Combines radar and forward-looking thermal imagers, a laser range finder, optical target tracking sensors and a missile line-of-sight correlator
For example, the already mentioned LITENING is used in the US Air Force to equip the F-15E, F-16, A-10, B-52 ... If necessary, the container can be suspended under the wing of any Harrier or F / A-18 carrier-based aircraft. The allies became interested in the system - LITENING is compatible with the on-board electronics of the Panavia Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, Grippen aircraft ...
The creators of the "fifth generation" fighters are doing the same, but in a much more complex and costly way. They propose to initially equip the aircraft with super-electronics by mounting blocks inside the fuselage. As a result, the price of the aircraft skyrockets, and half of the installed systems are usually used as ballast.
Surprisingly, but so important systems remained outside the scope of violent disputes about the capabilities of the Raptor and PAK FA. Instead of discussing truly significant things, from year to year, senseless debate continues around the "fifth generation" of fighters, which, in fact, does not solve anything in modern warfare.
Aiming container of the SNIPER XR system under the fuselage of the B-1B Lancer strategic bomber
The American company Lockheed Martin has completed the assembly of the fuselage of the latest F-22 Raptor fighter, which will be handed over to the US Air Force in the second quarter of 2012. The F-22 production line will remain for a few more years to overhaul and modernize the fighters that have entered service, which will probably end their lives as the most expensive and useless aircraft in US history.
Lockheed Martin, the developer of the F-22 Raptor fighter, considered the most high-tech aircraft in service in the United States, has completed the assembly of the fuselage of the last, 187th such aircraft. By the end of 2011, the fighter with tail number 09-4195 will be equipped with F119-PW-100 chassis, wings, electronic systems and engines, according to Defense Aerospace. The aircraft is expected to leave the assembly line in January 2012 and be handed over to the US Air Force in the second quarter of the same year.
Before delivering the fighter to the military, Lockheed Martin will have to conduct control flight tests of the F-22. How this will be done is still unknown. The United States currently has a ban on flying Raptor fighter jets., which applies to all such aircraft except those assigned to Edwards Air Force Base. These F-22s are taking part in the development of the Upgrade 3.5 software. After completion of the tests, they will also be prohibited from taking to the air.
According to unofficial forecasts, permission to resume flights will be issued to the F-22 no earlier than the first quarter of 2012. In practice, this means that if the Raptors are not allowed to take to the skies before the beginning of next year, the last aircraft will arrive at the disposal of the Air Force later than planned. However, the military themselves are unlikely to be upset about this. Curiously, the current suspension of flights has already become the longest in the history of the United States, and in early 2012 it will probably become a record for the whole world.
Flights of F-22 fighters were suspended on May 3, 2011, and two months earlier, the US Air Force command limited the flight altitude of these aircraft to 7.6 thousand meters. The reason for this was the investigation into the causes of the Raptor disaster in November 2010 in Alaska. Then the pilot of the aircraft, Jeffrey Haney, died. Presumably, the cause of the disaster was the malfunctioning of the onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS), due to which the pilot began to experience suffocation and lost consciousness. Currently, OBOGS is being tested not only on the F-22, but on all other US Air Force aircraft using a similar system.
Starting in 2012, the US Air Force will spend $500 million annually on the modernization of F-22 Raptor fighters. In particular, the Increment 3.1 modernization program will begin, which involves the installation of new on-board equipment, avionics and software. Through this program, the fighter will learn to map the terrain, select ground targets and use the new SDB bombs.
Implementation of the Increment 3.2 modernization program will begin in 2014. According to unconfirmed reports, as a result of this program, the F-22 will receive updated software, some new design elements and new computing systems.
Apparently, the history of the F-22 will end happily with the transfer of the last such aircraft to the Air Force. No, flight suspensions, participation in air shows, military exercises and intercontinental flights will continue, but this aircraft will probably never fulfill its main task - establishing air superiority during hostilities, forever remaining in memory as the most expensive and most useless fighter in the world.
The US Air Force originally planned to purchase 750 F-22s., however, with the collapse of the USSR and the disappearance of a strong potential enemy, as well as a sharp reduction in the defense budget, the number of Raptors planned for purchase was reduced. In 2010, the US Department of Defense decided to accept only 187 F-22s into service, with funding for the production of these aircraft to cease as of 2012. Insignificant funds (within the framework of the current Air Force plans - half a billion dollars a year, starting in 2012) will be spent only on the modernization of fighters adopted for service.
According to the United States General Accounting Office (GAO), published in April 2011, the total cost of the program to create and purchase the F-22 is 77.4 billion dollars. At the same time, the cost of one aircraft in 2010 amounted to 411.7 million dollars. By April of this year, the US Air Force had adopted 181 Raptors. In July 2009, the US Air Force announced that One hour of F-22 flight costs $44,000. According to the administration of the US Air Force Secretary of State, the cost of one hour of a fighter flight is 49.8 thousand dollars. The Raptor is currently the most expensive fighter jet in the world.
And by far the most useless. This fighter, which has been in service with the Air Force for six years, has not yet participated in any combat operations and, with rare exceptions, has not left the United States. The US Department of Defense has previously explained that there are simply no missions for this aircraft at present - for a war in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya, where all operations are carried out either on the ground or on the ground, an air superiority fighter is simply not needed.
In the future, apparently, it will not be useful either - the United States has not yet announced plans to conduct hostilities with a country with developed aviation, where the capabilities of the F-22 could come in handy. In general, on the account of the most advanced American aircraft there are only a couple of hundred enemy aircraft conditionally shot down during military exercises. No losses from the Raptors.
One could say that the F-22 technology was useful to the United States when creating a promising F-35 Lightning II fighter, but for the most part this is not true. The vast majority of the F-35's systems are being developed from scratch, including the on-board computer systems, the perimeter vision system, and even some of the stealth technology.
Moreover, the US Air Force plans to install some of the equipment that will be used on the F-22 in the future, including a resistant radar-absorbing coating. Perhaps the only thing that the F-35 inherited from the F-22 is a huge increase in the cost of the development program and one piece of equipment. But that's a completely different story.
A fifth-generation multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics to replace the F-15 Eagle. The F-22 is the first and to date the only fifth-generation fighter in service. And also he is the most expensive fighter in the world.
Story
Start of work on the fifth generation fighter
In 1981, the US Air Force formed a requirement for a new air superiority jet fighter, the Forward Frontline Fighter (ATF), to replace the F-15 Eagle. The new fighter had to include all latest developments, including advanced avionics, new digitally controlled engines, and should also be stealthy for radar and multifunctional.
In July 1986, the start of a competition for a fifth-generation fighter project was announced. In October of the same year, two teams were selected - Lockheed / Boeing / General Dynamics and Northrop / McDonnell Douglas, which were to create within 50 months new fighter. By 1990, each team had built two prototype aircraft - YF-22 and YF-23. Enormous funds were spent on the creation of ATF aircraft by the end of the 80s, so companies had to abandon the side-looking radar, the optical-location station and the missile attack warning system (the AN / ALR-94 system is installed on F-22 aircraft). The requirements for the aircraft were lowered to avoid increasing the cost of the development program, and then the production aircraft.
On April 23, 1991, the US Air Force announced the Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics group of companies as the winner of the competition for the fifth generation fighter.
ATF program and F-22 Raptor
The first pre-production car took off on September 7, 1997. Compared to the prototype, the F-22 was equipped with more powerful engines (15876 kgf versus 13900 on the prototype) with a vertically controlled thrust vector, the airframe of the aircraft was partially changed: the shape of the wing, elevators, nose fairing was changed, the cockpit canopy was moved forward.
Serial production of the aircraft began in 2001. On January 14, 2003, the first F-22 entered the Nellis military base, located in the Nevada desert. By 2004, a total of 51 aircraft had been assembled. In 2006, for the first time, the combat unit, the 27th tactical fighter squadron, stationed at Langley Air Base, completely switched to new fighters.
In 2006, it was planned to purchase 384 aircraft to equip seven combat duty squadrons, in 2008 the purchase plan was reduced to 188 aircraft, 127 of which were already assembled. The economic crisis and the huge cost of the aircraft forced the US government to abandon the purchase of this aircraft and focus on the F-35 program.
On January 21, 2009, a group of US congressmen sent a letter to President Barack Obama, in which they reported on the distribution of S-200 / 300 air defense systems around the world as the main argument for continuing the production of F-22 Raptor fighters.
On April 6, 2009, as part of the publication of the draft budget of the Pentagon for 2010, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced plans to complete the production of F-22 fighters in 2011 at the number of 187 vehicles previously approved by the US Congress. In July of the same year, Congress refused to increase purchases of this fighter, starting in 2010, in favor of increasing spending on the F-35 multi-role fighter program.
On December 13, 2011, the last production F-22A fighter with tail number 10-4195 left the assembly shop of Lockheed Martin Corporation in Marietta, Georgia. It became the 195th F-22A produced since 1997, and on May 2, 2012 became the last, 187th serial fighter transferred to the US Air Force.
Design
The design of the aircraft is based on the principle of ensuring increased survivability through the implementation of the principle "First look - first kill" (the first one found - the first one struck). For this, technologies for reducing visibility ("Stealth") are widely used. An important design solution typical for 5th generation fighters, which reduces the visibility of the aircraft, is the location of standard weapons in the internal compartments. The F-22 also has external suspensions, but the installation of ammunition on them worsens stealth. The purpose of this design decision was to increase the versatility of the aircraft.
Glider
In the design of the aircraft airframe, the share of polymer composite materials (PCM) is at least 40% (according to other sources, 60%), of which at least 30% are thermoplastic carbon plastics, radio absorbing materials (RPM) are widely used. In particular, the RPM constructively forms the edges of the aircraft wing. Most of The structure is assembled from PCM based on bismaleimides - a class of heat-resistant polymers that can operate at temperatures up to 230 degrees Celsius. The second most important polymer composites are thermoplastic carbon fiber reinforced plastics, in particular, Avimid K-III material from DuPont, whose advantages, in addition to strength, maintainability, and heat resistance, include the best characteristics of permissible damage.
The contours of the slots formed at the junction of the cockpit canopy with the fuselage, the doors of the landing gear and armament compartments have a sawtooth shape, which also ensures effective dissipation of electromagnetic energy and prevents its direct reflection in the direction of the enemy radar transceiver antenna. Wing - diamond-shaped, vertical stabilizer V-shaped.
The creation of the aircraft was carried out taking into account the requirements of combat survivability. According to a number of data, the survivability of the airframe design has been determined in relation to a high-explosive fragmentation incendiary (HEF) projectile, which forms the basis of the ammunition load of Russian 30-mm aircraft guns.
Engines
The F-22 is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners (TRDF) with a thrust of 15876 kgf, and equipped with a controllable thrust vector in a vertical plane. These engines have a non-afterburning thrust of about 11,000 kgf and allow the aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds without afterburner, which is an important tactical advantage.
The engine nozzles have a flat shape, which reduces the visibility of the aircraft in the infrared range. The design of the nozzle devices used ceramic-based radar absorbing material, which reduces the radar visibility of the aircraft.
Onboard equipment
The F-22 Raptor is controlled by two fault-tolerant on-board computers called CIP - Common Integrated Processor. Each of them - 66 modules, the basis of each module is a 32-bit RISC-processor i960.
airborne radar
The F-22 is equipped with an AN / APG-77 radar with an active phased antenna array. An antenna of this type consists of about 2000 receiving-emitting elements. The main advantage of this antenna is the electronic control of the main lobe of the radiation pattern (similar to beam scanning) - there is no need for mechanical scanning, which simplifies the design and increases reliability. Target detection range with EPR = 1 m2 - 225 km (normal mode) and 193 km (LPI mode), cruise missile (0.1 m2) - 125-110 km. The instrumental range of the radar is 525 km.
The ability of the radar to operate in a Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) mode renders conventional STR/PTR systems useless. The AN/APG-77 radar can perform an active radar search for a fighter aircraft equipped with the STR/RTR instrumentation in such a way that the target does not know that it is being irradiated. Unlike conventional radars, which emit high energy pulses over a narrow frequency range, the AN/APG-77 emits low energy pulses over a wide frequency range using a technique called broadband transmission. When multiple echoes are returned, the radar signal processor combines these signals. The amount of energy reflected back from the target is at the same level as conventional radar, but since each LPI pulse has significantly less energy and a different signal pattern, the target will be difficult to detect by the F-22.
Data channels
The aircraft is equipped with an integrated communication, navigation and identification system originally developed by TRW. It includes a radar identification system - “friend or foe”, as well as secure and noise-resistant IFDL and Link-16 JTIDS channels.
The aircraft implemented a scheme for both receiving and transmitting data via the IFDL channel between other F-22s, while the Link-16 JTIDS channel, for reasons of improving radar stealth, was implemented only for receiving data.
As part of the Increment 3.2 upgrade, it was planned to equip the fighter with a more modern MADL channel, installed on B-2 Spirit bombers and F-35 Lightning II multirole fighters. However, in 2010, the US Air Force abandoned this initiative in favor of stealth.
Armament
The F-22 is armed with a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon, 480 rounds, air-to-air missiles: six AIM-120C AMRAAM and two AIM-9M Sidewinder.
As well as JDAM adjustable bombs.
The F-22 is compatible with the SDB (Small Diameter Bomb) GBU-39 and SDB-53 / B guided precision bombs, test drops have been performed, however, no plans have been announced for 2015 to integrate them with the F-22.
The fighter can launch missiles and drop bombs from internal compartments at supersonic speeds.
Economic indicators
Aircraft cost
Today, the F-22 is the most expensive fighter in service in the world. The cost of production and production of one aircraft is estimated at $146.2 million (for 2008), and the full price, taking into account all indirect costs and with the expected production volume, is $350 million.
Mainly, such a high cost is due to a multiple reduction in the volume of purchases of this aircraft. In connection with the collapse of the USSR, out of the originally planned 750 units, only 187 units were purchased during the entire production of the fighter.
Sometimes they say about the F-22 that it is "worth its weight in gold", which literally corresponded to the financial markets in February 2006 - the cost of 19.7 tons of pure gold (the weight of an empty F-22A) in this period was the same 350 million dollars.
At the same time, the F-22 is not the most expensive aircraft in the world. The most expensive is the stealthy B-2 Spirit bomber, each of which cost the US Air Force excluding R&D $1.157 billion, and including R&D - $2.1 billion.
According to the US General Accounting Office (GAO), at the end of 2010, the total price of one F-22 aircraft (including the cost of the creation program) reached 411.7 million dollars.
Operating costs
According to the Pentagon, the operating costs per unit of the F-22 are not much higher than those of other fighters. However, this claim has been questioned and criticized in some US media. According to The Washington Post, the operating costs of this fighter far exceed the figures announced by the Pentagon. The newspaper article claimed that this was due to the vulnerability of the radar-absorbing coating, the accelerated wear of which, according to the author of the article, could even cause ordinary rain. Also, citing an unnamed US military, the newspaper reported that the F-22 flight hour cost is $44,000.
At a U.S. Senate hearing, Pentagon officials called The Washington Post reports unfounded and issued the following statement in response:
"- for 2008 fiscal year, the cost of one hour of flight of the F-22, including only variable costs, was $19,750. While for the F-15 this figure was $17,465;
- for the same fiscal year 2008, the total cost of an F-22 flight hour, including variable, fixed and other indirect costs, was $44,259. While for the F-15, the same figure was $30,818. USA;
- rain, other atmospheric precipitation, climatic and weather do not affect the performance of the F-22 Raptor radar absorbing coatings in any way; F-22 Raptor combat readiness percentage increased from 62 to 68 percent from 2004 to July 2009.
- The average level of combat readiness of the rest of the fleet is 64.5%;
The complexity of inter-flight maintenance of the F-22 is 13 hours for 1 hour of flight. According to the plans, for July 2009, the labor intensity should have been 19 hours for 1 hour of flight, and at the end of "growing up" should be increased to 11 hours."
Some issues with the anti-radar coating were also reported in Air Force Magazine notes published July 13-20, 2009. According to the magazine, the problem was that this coating held half as long as it was intended. However, the following talks about solving this problem and constantly improving the quality of the coating, which made it possible to increase the combat readiness of the F-22 to 68%.
As for the labor intensity of maintenance, for the F-22 it is not excessively high and amounts to 30 man-hours per 1 hour of flight. For comparison, the F-4 Phantom II third-generation fighter had 35 man-hours per hour, while the F-104 Starfighter, which was considered difficult to maintain, had 50 man-hours per hour.
TTX F-22
Specifications
Wingspan: 13.56 m
- Aircraft length: 18.90 m
- Aircraft height: 5.09 m
- Wing area: 78.04 m2
-V.O. area: 16.54 m2
-G.O. area: 12.63 m2
- Crew: 1 person
-Weight:
-avionics: 858 kg
-Empty: 19700 kg
-Normal takeoff: 29200 kg (100% fuel)
- Maximum: 38000 kg
-Load:
-Normal: 1116 kg (6+2 UR)
- Maximum: 10370 kg
- Fuel: 8200 kg
-With two PTB: 11900 kg
- Wing load:
- with a maximum take-off weight: 487 kg / m2
-at normal takeoff weight: 374 kg/m2
-Percentage composition of materials in the airframe design:
- Aluminum alloys: 16%
-titanium alloys: 39%
- Composites: 24%
-EPR: according to various sources, from 0.0001 to 0.3-0.4 m2
Engine
Engine type: 2x Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan
- Static forced thrust: 15876 kgf
- Thrust-to-weight ratio:
-at normal takeoff weight: 1,087
-at maximum takeoff weight: 0.83
Flight characteristics
Maximum speed: 2410 km / h - maximum (M = 2.25) (in peacetime, the maximum speed is limited to M = 2 i.e. 2124 km / h)
-Maximum speed without afterburner: 1826 km/h (M=1.72)
-Cruising speed: 850 km/h (M=0.8)
-Maximum ground speed: 1490 km/h (M=1.22)
-Range:
- with two PTB: 2960 km
- ferry station: 3220 km
- Combat radius: 760 km (of which 185.2 km in non-afterburning supersonic cruising mode)
- Practical ceiling: 20,000 m
-Maximum exp. overload: 9.5 G (peacetime 8G)
- Takeoff run: 250-450 m
- Roll rate: 3.49 rad/s (200 deg/sec)
- Estimated aircraft life: 6000 h
- Working pressure of hydraulic system: 560 kg/cm2
- Labor intensity of maintenance: 13 man-hours per flight hour (according to other sources 30)
Avionics
(English term for colloquial speech the totality of all electronic systems designed for use in aviation as avionics. This term is not used in domestic regulatory and operational documentation, and it is also not popular with aviation specialists.)
Radar: radar with AFAR APG-77
- Detection range: 225? 193 km on target with EPR = 1 m2
- Weight: 553.7 kg
-Maximum average radiated power: 16533W
- Volume: 0.565 m3
- Cooling air consumption: 4.38 kg/min
- Coolant flow: 33.9 l/min
-AFAR diameter: 0.813 m
- weight: 219.1 kg
-Volume: 0.275 m3
- Power dissipation: 8278W
- Coolant flow: 11.3 l/min
"AN/ALR-94"
The radiation warning station consists of 30 sensors located in the wings and fuselage, which provides coverage within 360 degrees at all ranges. The system can detect, track and identify a target at a distance of 460 km or more. When approaching a target at a distance of at least 180 km, target designation is provided for the APG-77 using the tracking file generated by the ALR-94 system. As a result, the airborne radar detects and tracks the target with a very narrow beam. The ALR-94 determines the direction, type of threat and distance to it, and then calculates the distance at which the enemy radar can detect the F-22. All data is fed to the on-board displays, and the pilot is provided with timely graphic information for aircraft defense maneuvers. On the main display screen, the marks of the anti-aircraft missile fire control radar and the early warning radar are enclosed in circles, which show their estimated effective range of fire.
Fighter F-22 / Photo: eurasian-defence.ru
For the first time, the United States used F-22 Raptor fighter jets in combat, Time reports, citing sources in the US Department of Defense. Aircraft of this type carried out several strikes on the Syrian city of Raqqa and its suburbs. This city is considered the main position of the Islamic State militants. Earlier, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby announced that cruise missiles Tomahawk, writes the publication Lenta. ru.
What exactly the tasks are performed by the F-22 fighters in Syria is still unknown. The strikes on the positions of the "Islamic State" in Syria began on the morning of September 23, 2014. It is noted that Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and United United Arab Emirates However, their role is still not completely clear. Earlier, the United States hit about 200 targets of the "Islamic State" in Iraq.
The F-22 fighter was developed in the second half of the 1980s and made its first flight in September 1997. The fifth-generation fighter aircraft entered service with the United States in 2005. Currently, the US Air Force has 178 aircraft of this type; how many fighters are used in the United States is still unknown. Production of the F-22 was officially closed in 2011, but the production lines themselves have been mothballed.
On September 11, 2014, US President Barack Obama announced that Washington intends to create a coalition that will deal with the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. At the same time, the American president noted that the United States would not send troops to these countries, but would increase the intensity of air strikes.
Technical reference
The F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, Boeing and General Dynamics to replace the F-15 Eagle. The F-22 is the first and to date the only fifth-generation fighter in service.
The new fighter had to include all the latest developments, including advanced avionics, new digitally controlled engines, and also had to be stealthy for radar and multifunctional. In July 1986, the start of a competition for a fifth-generation fighter project was announced.
In October of the same year, two teams were selected - Lockheed / Boeing / General Dynamics and Northrop / McDonnell Douglas, who were supposed to create a new fighter within 50 months. By 1990, each team had built two prototype aircraft - YF-22 and YF-23.
On April 23, 1991, the US Air Force announced the Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics group of companies as the winner of the competition for the fifth generation fighter.
June 8, 2002, Eglin Air Force Base. The first pre-production car took off on September 7, 1997. Compared to the prototype, the F-22 was equipped with more powerful engines (15876 kgf versus 13900 on the prototype) with a vertically controlled thrust vector, the airframe of the aircraft was partially changed: the shape of the wing, elevators, nose fairing was changed, the cockpit canopy was moved forward.
Serial production of the aircraft began in 2001. On January 14, 2003, the first F-22 entered the Nellis military base, located in the Nevada desert. By 2004, a total of 51 aircraft had been built. In 2006, for the first time, the combat unit, the 27th tactical fighter squadron, stationed at Langley Air Base, completely switched to new fighters.
Figure: en.wikipedia.org
The design of the aircraft is based on the principle of ensuring increased survivability through the implementation of the principle "First look - first kill" (the first one found - the first one struck). For this, technologies for reducing visibility ("Stealth") are widely used. An important design solution typical for 5th generation fighters, which reduces the visibility of the aircraft, is the placement of standard weapons in the internal compartments.The F-22 also has external suspensions, but the installation of ammunition on them worsens stealth. The purpose of this design decision was to increase the versatility of the aircraft.
In the design of the aircraft airframe, the share of polymer composite materials (PCM) is at least 40% (according to other sources, 60%), of which at least 30% are thermoplastic carbon plastics, radio absorbing materials (RPM) are widely used.
F-22 accompanies the Russian Tu-95 reconnaissance aircraft flying near Alaska / Photo: ru.wikipedia.org
In particular, the RPM constructively forms the edges of the aircraft wing. Most of the structure is made of PCM based on bismaleimides - a class of heat-resistant polymers that can operate at temperatures up to 230 degrees. The second most important polymer composites are thermoplastic carbon fiber reinforced plastics, in particular, Avimid K-III material from DuPont, whose advantages, in addition to strength, maintainability, and heat resistance, include the best characteristics of permissible damage.
The contours of the slots formed at the junction of the cockpit canopy with the fuselage, the doors of the landing gear and armament compartments have a sawtooth shape, which also ensures effective dissipation of electromagnetic energy and prevents its direct reflection in the direction of the enemy radar transceiver antenna.
Wing - diamond-shaped, vertical stabilizer V-shaped. The design of the aircraft was carried out taking into account the requirements of combat survivability. According to a number of data, the survivability of the airframe design has been determined in relation to a high-explosive fragmentation incendiary (HEF) projectile, which forms the basis of the ammunition load of Russian 30-mm aircraft guns.
Figure: en.wikipedia.org
Tactical and technical indicators
| Specifications |
|
| Wingspan, m | 13,56 |
| Aircraft length, m | 18,90 |
| Aircraft height, m | 5,09 |
| Wing area, m² | 78,04 |
| Area of V. O., m² | 16,54 |
| G. O. area, m² | 12,63 |
| Weight, kg: | avionics - 858 empty - 19700 normal takeoff (100% fuel) - 29200 maximum - 38000 |
normal (6 + 2 UR) - 1116 maximum 10370 fuel (with two PTBs) - 8200 (11900) |
at maximum takeoff weight - 487 at normal takeoff weight - 374 |
| The percentage composition of materials in the airframe design,%: | aluminum alloys - 16 titanium alloys - 39 composites - 24 |
| EPR, m² | from 0.0001 to 0.3-0.4 |
| Engine, qty x engine type | 2x turbofan Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 |
| Static forced thrust, kgf | 15876 |
| Thrust-to-weight ratio: | at normal takeoff weight - 1,087 at maximum takeoff weight - 0.83 |
| Flight characteristics | |
| Maximum speed, km/h: | 2700 - maximum 2410 - maximum without afterburner |
| Afterburner supersonic cruising speed, km/h (M) | 1826 (1,72) |
|
Subsonic cruising speed, km/h (M)
| 850 (0.8) |
|
Maximum ground speedkm/h (M)
| 1490 (1.22) |
| Range, km: | with two PTB - 2900 distillation - 3219 |
| Combat radius, km | 760 |
| Practical ceiling, m | ~19812 |
| Maximum exp. overload g | 9.5
|
| Takeoff run, m | 250 - 450 |
| Service, man-hour per flight hour | 13 |
| Roll rate, rad/s | 3,49 |
| Estimated aircraft life, h | 6000 |
| Working pressure of hydraulic system, kg/cm² | 560 |
MOSCOW, WEAPON OF RUSSIA
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