Aircraft · Air
F-22 Raptor
Stealth fighter for air-superiority and air-to-ground missions.
by Lockheed Martin · Unveiled 1997 · First fielded 2005
FieldedAircraftAirInitial operating capabilityDec 2005
acc.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/660143/f-22-raptor- Milestones3
- Operators1
- Components1
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Samuel Eckholm · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Air Force) · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop.
Milestones19972005
Timeline3
- UnveiledConfirmed
First F-22A unveiled
- First flightConfirmed
F-22 Raptor 4001 first flight
- Initial operating capabilityConfirmed
F-22A reaches initial operational capability
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Operators1
- USUnited States
- First fielded
- 2005
Cost to the Government
Aircraft · Lockheed Martin / Boeing / Pratt & Whitney
F-22A Raptor
A small fifth-generation fighter fleet with substantial historical development spending and ongoing modernization contracts.
Reported aircraft unit cost
$143M
2022 fact sheet · Dollar year not stated
Air Force unit figure; excludes the full program’s R&D allocation.
U.S. Air Force ↗Total-force inventory
183
2022-08 · U.S. only
Dated Air Force snapshot, not a verified 2026 force count.
U.S. Air Force ↗Final SAR acquisition denominator
179
2010-12 · U.S. only
CRS explains this reporting scope; not the total number ever built or current inventory.
CRS ↗Development program total, approximately
$32.4B
2010-12 final SAR · Then-year USD
CRS historical total; later modernization spending is additional scope.
CRS ↗Operations & sustainment
Annual O&S / aircraft
$13.27M / yr
FY2018 · Constant FY2018 USD
GAO historical operating and support costs; fleet average, not a current-year estimate.
GAO ↗Cost over time · 3 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2011 | Annual O&S / aircraft Same GAO inflation-adjusted series. Changes can reflect fleet size and maintenance cycles. | $14.34M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2018 | Annual O&S / aircraft GAO historical operating and support costs; fleet average, not a current-year estimate. | $13.27M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| 2010-12 | Program acquisition total, approximately R&D, procurement and military construction in the SAR scope. | $67.3B | Then-year USD | CRS ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2021-11-05 · Maximum IDIQ enhancement and sustainment value
U.S. Air Force → Lockheed Martin
$10.863B · quantity not established
ARES contract ceiling; not money already spent and not a new aircraft order.
Department of Defense ↗
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & open research
- Quantity and cost figures retain their source dates. Historical snapshots are not a census of operational availability on the review date.
- No international purchase record verified in this profile; this is not proof that no foreign operators exist.
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.