US Defense's video: The F-22 Raptor Has One Problem The Air Force Can t Ever Fix

The F-22 Raptor Has One Problem The Air Force Can’t Ever Fix. Despite emerging as the world’s premier fifth-generation air superiority fighter, in 2009 the F-22 Raptor program was terminated early and the total number of Raptors to be purchased by the Air Force was capped at 187. This was a significant blow for the Air Force, which had originally intended to purchase upwards of 700 F-22s. Despite the F-22 Raptor’s impressive capabilities as an air-to-air fighter, the program was cancelled early as a result of both concerns over the aircraft’s cost and because of questions regarding the need for such an expensive dedicated air superiority fighter. F-22 Origin Story The F-22 dates back to the 1980s and to the Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, which emerged in response to a perceived need to begin the development of a next-generation fighter aircraft that could serve as a counter to the emerging threat presented by advanced Soviet fighters such as the MiG-29 and the Su-27. The ATF program resulted in a final competition between prototype aircraft developed by Lockheed and Northrup in the form of the YF-22 and YF-23, respectively. Despite some advantages demonstrated by Northrup’s YF-23, the Air Force awarded the contract to Lockheed in part out of a belief that Lockheed would prove to be a better manager for the program.