Latest news with #F-22Raptor
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What It's Really Like Inside The Cockpit Of An F-22 Raptor Fighter Jet
Nearly 30 years since its first test flight in 1997, the Lockheed Martin-Boeing F-22 Raptor still looks like it came from the future. Sporting both a curved body and hard-edged angles as well as that signature golden canopy, the F-22 is an iconic design that's instantly recognizable. But while there are plenty of amazing images of that radar-absorbent exterior, its interior has been kept pretty tightly under wraps. Much of the technology inside the F-22 remains classified, so while the U.S. Air Force is very happy to show it off at air shows, it generally avoids ever showing anyone the inside of the cockpit. Still, some information about the controls and displays of the Raptor have been released, and various pilots have talked about the experience of flying one. The F-22's technological edge comes as much from its advanced avionics as its stealth silhouette, empowering pilots in a way that fourth-generation fighters like the F-18 (which seem to be easy to lose) never could. That makes life in the cockpit very different for these pilots than their peers. Read more: These Cars Are Going To Age Terribly If you were to get near the interior of an F-22, you'd first have to raise the canopy. It's a bit more bulbous than the sleek designs of other aircraft, but as with the various other curves along the F-22's frame, this is meant to deflect radar. In other words, even the cockpit is a part of the Raptor's stealthiness. Once in the seat, you might first notice what you don't see -- dials. The F-22 has an all-glass cockpit, meaning that instead of a traditional instrumentation panel with lots of dials, the pilot is greeted by an array of computer screens made of glass. These are liquid crystal displays, visible even in direct sunlight (useful, since fighter pilots tend to like the sun directly at their backs). There are six such displays in total, including a larger central display for identification and target acquisition. To interact with all that, the pilots don't even have to take their hands off the controls. That's because the F-22 uses a hands-on throttle-and-stick system, which puts the computer inputs directly on, well, the throttle and control stick. This way, the pilot can interact with the complex systems while simultaneously flying the plane. With all that information literally at their fingertips, the pilot can personally process all the information they need; in other words, these fifth-generation fighters have no need for a backseat passenger, called the weapons systems officer on older planes. Actually sitting in that cockpit can be pretty intense. The plane can withstand anywhere from 9 gravities to minus 3 gravities, so the pilot will be wearing a G suit to help compensate. Over that, the pilot will have a flotation vest in case of a watery landing (read: crash), a harness with survival gear, and, of course, a helmet with communication equipment and oxygen. That said, one of the F-22's party tricks is that it is capable of supercruise -- staying at supersonic speeds for extended periods without afterburner. That makes for a smooth, comfortable experience above the speed of sound, unlike in most other fighter jets. It's good to be an F-22 pilot. That's especially true since, with all that information available to them on all those displays, F-22 pilots are empowered to make judgement calls on what to do in a given situation, not just the flight leads. Flying a Raptor is an awesome responsibility, but the plane gives you the power to make use of it. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
F-22s Fly Alongside MiGs To Commemorate Founder Of America's Secret Soviet Fighter Squadron
Newly released footage records the unique formation flight over Nevada's Nellis Air Force Base last November, which brought together U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters and Soviet-era MiG-21 and MiG-29 jets. The four-ship took to the skies to mark the passing of Col. Gail Peck (ret.), the former commander of the legendary 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron 'Red Eagles' that conducted highly classified missions using Soviet combat jets in the late 1970s and 1980s. If you need a I do..I just found out we can share this from last year. A memorial flyover for Col. 'Evil' Peck, first commander of the secretive Red Eagles. Mig-21 leading, I was flying the Mig-29 along w/F-22s. You will never see a formation like this again. — Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) June 8, 2025 The video in question was shared on the social media platform X by Jared Isaacman, the former CEO of the red air provider Draken International, a tech billionaire, astronaut, and, until very recently, the White House's nominee to be the next administrator of NASA. For the formation flight, Isaacman was at the controls of his MiG-29UB Fulcrum-B personal jet that once belonged to Paul Allen, and which served as the photo ship for the air-to-air sequence seen above. The memorial flyover on November 7, 2024, involved a pair of F-22s, one with the 'OT' tail code of the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron and one with the 'WA' code of the 433rd Weapons Squadron, both resident at Nellis. Nellis is home to some of the Air Force's premier test and evaluation and research and development units, including the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group and the 57th Wing, to which these squadrons respectively belong. As well as Isaacman's two-seat MiG-29UB, the formation included another privately owned MiG. This was the two-seat MiG-21UM Mongol-B with the registration N317DM, a former Polish Air Force example that was once owned by another red air contractor, Air USA. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ben (@benm1013photo) The special formation recognized the exceptional contribution made to the Air Force by Peck, who passed away last October 10. In 1962, Peck graduated from the Air Force Academy at the top of his class and then served as an instructor pilot on the T-33 and T-38. He also flew 163 combat missions in Vietnam as an F-4D Phantom pilot. Starting in 1975, Peck embarked on his (then) highly classified career under the Constant Peg program, in which he had a highly influential role. This program provided training for Air Force, Navy, and Marine fighter aircrews, putting them up against actual Soviet jets as part of a secretive advanced joint program. Prior to Constant Peg, the Air Force was conducting more limited aggressor training with Soviet-origin fighters, including Have Drill, which pitted American aviators against an ex-Syrian MiG-17 captured in Israel, and Have Doughnut, involving a former Iraqi Air Force MiG-21 that the Israelis had acquired from a defecting pilot, an episode you can read more about here. Peck, however, thought there was room for improvement. 'I was in General [Hoyt S.] Vandenberg's office [at the Pentagon] one day trying to get him to sign one of these test plans, and he says 'You know, I hate this,'' Peck recounted. 'You guys have to go through the pain of writing a test plan. We oughtta just be training with these airplanes.' Meanwhile, as part of his cover for this task, Peck managed exercise Red Flag and other air combat exercises out of Nellis. Under Constant Peg (the 'Peg' in the project name was Peck's wife), the 4477th Test and Evaluation Flight, the 'Red Eagles,' was stood up at Nellis in 1977. Two years later, the unit moved to the enigmatic Tonopah Test Range Airport, north of Nellis, with Peck now installed as commander. 'The whole idea of building an airfield was an overwhelming challenge,' Peck later recalled. 'I got to thinking about it, and so I pulled out a ballpoint pen and a napkin off the airliner, and I sketched out a little drawing of extending the runway and putting a pad there for three hangars and stuff like that. And I'd convinced myself that Tonopah was the right place for this project.' According to an official Air Force biography, 'Constant Peg resulted in the enhancement of an airfield at the Tonopah Test Range and the initiation of jet fighter operations from that airfield with the 4477th Test and Evaluation Flight flying both MiG-17s and MiG-21s. The purpose of Constant Peg was to train Air Force and Navy fighter pilots to a degree of proficiency never before achieved.' Peck, as callsign 'Bandit 1,' instructed on the MiG-17, and later the MiG-21 and F-5E, with the 'Red Eagles' meanwhile transforming from a flight to a squadron. Peck features heavily in this documentary, titled Red Eagles — Constant Peg, 1977–1988, which first appeared on social media accounts linked to Nellis Air Force Base in 2019: After moving on from the 4477th, Peck served as an operational F-15 pilot and commander at Kadena Air Base in Japan and flew RF-4C reconnaissance jets at Zweibruecken Air Base in West Germany. After retiring from active-duty service in 1988, he was an academic instructor for F-15 and F-22 pilots at the Weapons School at Nellis. All in all, Peck's career was a remarkable one and was hugely influential in terms of Foreign Materiel Exploitation, or FME, a service that the latest incarnation of the Red Eagles continues to provide. With that in mind, while we may never again see a formation of F-22s and MiGs in public over Nellis, covert flights using actual foreign airframes continue to this day. Contact the author: thomas@
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The F-35 could be 'pilot optional' in the not-too-distant future, Lockheed Martin CEO says
Lockheed Martin's CEO announced plans for an uncrewed F-35. The F-35 and F-22 will gain next-gen stealth, electronic warfare, and weapons improvements, he said. The US Air Force wants uncrewed aircraft to support piloted ones and add mass to its force. Lockheed Martin is developing an advanced version of its F-35 stealth fighter jet that could potentially be uncrewed, the company's CEO said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Bernstein's 41st Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, CEO Jim Taiclet floated the possibility of an F-35 whose pilot could be "optional" within a "relatively modest time frame." He outlined what he called "fifth-gen-plus" aircraft, where within two or three years both the F-35 and the older F-22 Raptor would feature several capabilities, including stealth coatings, electronic warfare improvements, and an unspecified weapons improvement, he said. Lockheed is repurposing much of this tech from its failed bid for the F-22 Raptor replacement, advances whose capabilities could rival those of the winning jet design at a much lower cost. Boeing secured the contract for the US Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD, to develop the sixth-generation F-47. Lockheed Martin didn't protest the decision. "Our target is 80% of the capability of an NGAD sixth-generation at 50% of the unit costs," Taiclet said. These improvements would be introduced in stages, he said, with consideration to how the aircraft will be integrated with other systems. Some updates could be done in two to three years for "a meaningful increase in capacity," Taiclet said. That includes stealth coatings on the aircraft's surface and adjustments to its shape, as well as electronic warfare and weapons capabilities upgrades. Sixth-generation are a class of aircraft whose stealth, speed, automation and extended range are expected to make them the world's premier aircraft as they enter service in the 2030s. More than 1,200 F-35s have already been delivered to the US and 12 additional countries' militaries. The F-35 program has hit several snags over the years, including costs and goals. The lifetime F-35 program costs top $2 trillion, and sustainability costs are also rising. Last year, the US Government Accountability Office assessed that the F-35 isn't hitting mission-capable goals and hasn't for years. On a company earnings call in April, Taiclet said the fifth-gen plus upgrade focused on better capabilities at a lower cost but details were sparse. "We're basically going to take the [F-35] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari," he said. Autonomous or uncrewed capabilities in aircraft have been a top priority for the US Air Force. Its Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative has focused on unmanned aircraft capable of operating alongside piloted aircraft or autonomously for a variety of missions. Air Force leadership has touted these "loyal wingmen" as not only giving pilots a variety of options for how to employ them — as sensors, weapons carriers, or jamming platforms — but also offering the possibility of having enough with lower costs than crewed aircraft. That could be key in a conflict with a peer adversary, like China or Russia. A pilot could direct a CCA on missions too dangerous for crewed fighters. At the conference, Taiclet said Lockheed Martin's interest in pilot-optional F-35s lent itself to the CCA. "We're thinking of the F-35 not just as a standalone aircraft, but how it can interface with sixth generation and with unmanned aircraft and itself be optionally manned," he said. Efforts for F-35 autonomy would be similar to the Air Force's AI-guided F-16 fighter jet that's been used in recent years to test AI pilots. The aircraft is part of the Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)'s AI fighter jet pilot program, which has been working on testing, iterating, and updating AI agents to fly the jet. Last year, then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall flew in the X-62A pilot by AI, "witnessing several AI agents as they autonomously maneuvered the X-62 against a manned F-16 in dogfighting engagements," an Air Force official said at the time. Those manned-unmanned dogfights have been ongoing and the service has said it's learning a lot of information from them, especially on how autonomous aircraft could aid or support manned pilots. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
30-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
The F-35 could be 'pilot optional' in the not-too-distant future, Lockheed Martin CEO says
Lockheed Martin is developing an advanced version of its F-35 stealth fighter jet that could potentially be uncrewed, the company's CEO said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Bernstein's 41st Annual Strategic Decisions Conference, CEO Jim Taiclet floated the possibility of an F-35 whose pilot could be "optional" within a "relatively modest time frame." He outlined what he called "fifth-gen-plus" aircraft, where within two or three years both the F-35 and the older F-22 Raptor would feature several capabilities, including stealth coatings, electronic warfare improvements, and an unspecified weapons improvement, he said. Lockheed is repurposing much of this tech from its failed bid for the F-22 Raptor replacement, advances whose capabilities could rival those of the winning jet design at a much lower cost. Boeing secured the contract for the US Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD, to develop the sixth-generation F-47. Lockheed Martin didn't protest the decision. "Our target is 80% of the capability of an NGAD sixth-generation at 50% of the unit costs," Taiclet said. These improvements would be introduced in stages, he said, with consideration to how the aircraft will be integrated with other systems. Some updates could be done in two to three years for "a meaningful increase in capacity," Taiclet said. That includes stealth coatings on the aircraft's surface and adjustments to its shape, as well as electronic warfare and weapons capabilities upgrades. Sixth-generation are a class of aircraft whose stealth, speed, automation and extended range are expected to make them the world's premier aircraft as they enter service in the 2030s. More than 1,200 F-35s have already been delivered to the US and 12 additional countries' militaries. The F-35 program has hit several snags over the years, including costs and goals. The lifetime F-35 program costs top $2 trillion, and sustainability costs are also rising. Last year, the US Government Accountability Office assessed that the F-35 isn't hitting mission-capable goals and hasn't for years. On a company earnings call in April, Taiclet said the fifth-gen plus upgrade focused on better capabilities at a lower cost but details were sparse. "We're basically going to take the [F-35] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari," he said. AI-guided fighters Autonomous or uncrewed capabilities in aircraft have been a top priority for the US Air Force. Its Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative has focused on unmanned aircraft capable of operating alongside piloted aircraft or autonomously for a variety of missions. Air Force leadership has touted these "loyal wingmen" as not only giving pilots a variety of options for how to employ them — as sensors, weapons carriers, or jamming platforms — but also offering the possibility of having enough with lower costs than crewed aircraft. That could be key in a conflict with a peer adversary, like China or Russia. A pilot could direct a CCA on missions too dangerous for crewed fighters. At the conference, Taiclet said Lockheed Martin's interest in pilot-optional F-35s lent itself to the CCA. "We're thinking of the F-35 not just as a standalone aircraft, but how it can interface with sixth generation and with unmanned aircraft and itself be optionally manned," he said. Efforts for F-35 autonomy would be similar to the Air Force's AI-guided F-16 fighter jet that's been used in recent years to test AI pilots. The aircraft is part of the Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)'s AI fighter jet pilot program, which has been working on testing, iterating, and updating AI agents to fly the jet. Last year, then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall flew in the X-62A pilot by AI, "witnessing several AI agents as they autonomously maneuvered the X-62 against a manned F-16 in dogfighting engagements," an Air Force official said at the time. Those manned-unmanned dogfights have been ongoing and the service has said it's learning a lot of information from them, especially on how autonomous aircraft could aid or support manned pilots.
News18
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- News18
F-22 Raptor: The 5th-Gen Fighter Jet That US Won't Sell
Last Updated: The US-built F-22 Raptor, developed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, is a top fifth-generation fighter jet with stealth, supercruise, and unmatched agility In an era where warfare is increasingly defined by speed, stealth, and supremacy in the skies, fifth-generation fighter jets have become the ultimate symbols of military might. As nations race to outpace one another in aerospace technology, the United States, China, and Russia lead the charge, each wielding their own cutting-edge aircraft. But among them, one machine continues to soar above the rest, the US-built F-22 Raptor. Developed jointly by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the F-22 Raptor was first tested in 1997 and officially inducted into the US Air Force by 2005. With a minuscule radar cross-section, the F-22 is nearly invisible to enemy radar systems, allowing it to infiltrate hostile airspace undetected. Powered by twin Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines generating a combined 70,000 pounds of thrust, the jet is capable of 'supercruise", sustained supersonic flight without the use of fuel-guzzling afterburners. It cruises at speeds exceeding Mach 1.5 (approximately 1,850 km/h) and can climb to altitudes over 50,000 feet. Its agility in the air is unmatched, thanks to thrust vectoring technology that allows the jet to pivot and roll with astonishing precision. In dogfights, this maneuverability makes it nearly impossible to pin down. Equipped with the AN/APG-77 radar, the jet can detect and track enemies at long range. With sensor fusion technology, it delivers a 360-degree battlefield view to its pilot, offering a critical edge in complex air combat situations. Weapons-wise, the Raptor carries a lethal mix. It can house six AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, two AIM-9 Sidewinders, a 1,000-pound GBU-32 JDAM smart bomb, and a 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon with 480 rounds, making it equally deadly against both airborne and ground threats. The F-22 was designed for air superiority. It's faster, topping Mach 2.25 (nearly 2,700 km/h), and more agile due to its advanced thrust vectoring. The F-35, on the other hand, is a versatile, multi-role combat aircraft tailored for a broader range of missions: air-to-ground strikes, electronic warfare, and intelligence gathering. It comes in three variants for the Air Force (F-35A), Marines (F-35B for vertical landing), and Navy (F-35C for carrier operations). Though slower and less nimble, the F-35's strength lies in its adaptability and digital warfare capabilities, including its AN/APG-81 radar and Electro-Optical Targeting System. Despite its staggering capabilities, the F-22 remains exclusive to the United States. In 1998, Congress enacted a strict ban on its export, citing the need to safeguard its highly classified stealth and avionics systems. The fear? That this top-tier technology might fall into adversarial hands. Indeed, those fears weren't unfounded. In 2016, China was caught attempting to steal design blueprints of the F-22, F-35, and C-130 transport aircraft. Since then, Washington has doubled down on keeping the Raptor within American borders. Allies such as Japan, Israel, and Australia have repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring the F-22. In one case, Lockheed Martin even proposed a hybrid model combining features of the F-22 and F-35 for Japan. But concerns over cost and export laws killed the deal. Instead, the US has promoted the more widely available – and export-friendly – F-35, which shares some DNA with the Raptor but lacks its specialised air dominance pedigree. India recently greenlit its own 5th-gen Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme. While promising, it remains years away from operational deployment. For now, India, like many others, watches from the sidelines as the trio of aerial superpowers – the US, China, and Russia – unfold their futuristic wings. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published:
