F-22 Raptor

The F-22A is an air superiority fighter developed for the U.S. Air Force to replace the F-15. It defined the term "fifth generation": before it, stealth (F-117), supercruise (Concorde and some interceptors), and high agility (F-16) existed on separate airframes. The F-22 was the first attempt to fit all three into one aerodynamic configuration — at the cost of a very high unit price and a heavy maintenance burden.

It first flew in 1997 and reached initial operational capability in 2005. The original plan called for 750 aircraft; production ended in 2009 after 187 production airframes, a result of post-Cold War threat reassessment, rising unit cost, and a re-evaluation of how many dedicated air superiority fighters were needed. It has never been lost in air combat, and has never met a peer opponent.

Aerodynamically the F-22 uses a cranked-delta wing with a 42° leading-edge sweep and prominent forebody chines, paired with canted twin fins at 28°. The sharp chine running from the radome to the wing root both generates vortex lift and deflects incoming radar energy into a few narrow directions — stealth and aerodynamics here are two faces of the same design decision.

Two F119 engines drive two-dimensional thrust-vectoring nozzles with ±20° of pitch authority. The rectangular nozzle helps both infrared and radar signature, but costs thrust relative to an axisymmetric design, and is why the F-22 vectors in pitch only.

All primary weapons are carried internally, in a main bay plus two small side bays for short-range missiles. That internal capacity, not the maximum payload figure, is what actually bounds its strike capability in a stealth configuration.