What is Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor?
{{nosources|date=May 2024}} [[File:F-22 Raptor edit1 (cropped).jpg|alt=The F-22 Raptor.|thumb|245x245px|The F-22 Raptor flying over Kadena Air Force Base, Japan]]The '''F-22 Raptor''' is a [[fighter aircraft]] made by [[Lockheed Martin]]. It first flew in [[1990]] and entered service in the [[United States Air Force]] in [[2005]]. Because it is very expensive and [[dogfight|dogfighting]] isn't common today, there aren't as many of them as other fighter planes. It is a stealth plane, which means it is very hard to see on [[radar]]. It can hold 6 radar-guided medium-range [[AIM-120 AMRAAM]] missiles and 2 heat-seeking, short-range [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]] missiles, but there are other payloads it can hold. It's top speed is 1,500 miles per hour, which is 2.2 times the [[Mach number|speed of sound]]. It features [[thrust vectoring]], where the plane's thrust nozzles turn to help turn it faster. Thrust vectoring is very useful in dogfights. The F-22 Raptor is a 5th generation fighter and is a very expensive plane to produce. In order to protect the F-22 Raptor's stealth technology and other secrets, the U.S. has not sold the F-22 Raptor to other countries, even to it's closest allies. If they do, they will be [[export]] versions and not as powerful as the ones used by the U.S.{{cn|date=May 2024}} == Similar airplanes == * '''[[Su-57]]''' - Russian counterpart of the F-22. * [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II|F-35]] - A similar American 5th generation plane, except it is a multirole jet instead of a [[Fighter aircraft|fighter.]] {{Military-stub}} [[Category:United States Air Force aircraft]] [[Category:Lockheed & Lockheed-Martin aircraft|F-22]]