11. Raptor F-22
Joined the Service in 1997
Producer: Lockheed Martin
Price: *$350 million
The USAF received this single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth fighter as a product of the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) program. Although the F-22 Raptor’s primary purpose was air superiority, it can also be used for electronic warfare, ground attack, and signal intelligence.
©Emily Hilton / Foter.com F-22 Raptor
Lockheed Martin Corp was the primary contract, but Boeing Co. contributed the aft fuselage, avionics, training system, and wings. The F-22, according to USAF officials, is a “critical component” of the branch’s tactical power. 195 have been made, of which 187 are operational. The program shut down in 2011 because the F-35 was developed (among other reasons).
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