The Air Force's next-generation air superiority fighter, the F-22 Raptor, soared past the minimum flying hour mark of 183 hours Nov. 23. (Courtesy photo)
Released: 24 Nov 1998
The Air Force's next-generation air superiority fighter, the F-22 Raptor, soared past the minimum flying hour mark of 183 hours Nov. 23. (Courtesy photo)
WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force's next-generation air superiority fighter, the F-22 Raptor, soared past the minimum flying hour mark of 183 hours Nov. 23. This milestone fulfills terms established by Congress and the Department of Defense to release funds needed for the advance buy of the first six production F-22s, or Lot 1.
"This is a wonderful accomplishment in the F-22 flight test program, and a huge step forward for all of America's warriors who will be protected by the F-22," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Ryan.
"Meeting this flight test goal ahead of schedule is a terrific piece of work," said Acting Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters. "The F-22, with its stealth, integrated avionics, and supercruise will be the weapon of choice to ensure air dominance in the 21st century.
The F-22 is being developed to counter lethal threats posed by advanced surface-to-air missile systems and next generation fighters equipped with launch-and-leave missiles.
As of Nov. 23, F-22 pilots at the Combined Test Force, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., have logged 184.4 hours in the program's two test F-22s, surpassing the congressional mandate. The first F-22 -- Raptor 01 -- has flown 45 sorties and 79 flight hours, including 4.4 hours of supersonic flight. Raptor 02, the second off the assembly line, has flown 41 sorties and 105.4 flight hours.
"It was a Herculean effort across the board," said Lt. Col. C. D. Moore, F-22 Combined Test Force director, about meeting the flight hour requirement. "It's really a pat on the back for the entire team, folks working side by side to make this happen, government and contractor."
This test milestone, along with a report from the secretary of defense to Congress, is the last major hurdle prior to the Air Force awarding contracts for the F-22 Lot 1 advance buy and full contract award for two production representative test vehicles. Lot 1 advance buy only addresses those items preliminary to building actual aircraft such as buying components, vendor start-up and other procurement costs. The PRTV aircraft will be designated to support operational test and evaluation of the F-22 beginning in 2002 at Edwards.
"The next century's guarantor of air dominance for U.S. military forces is coming of age -- and, ahead of schedule," said Brig. Gen. Michael Mushala, F-22 Program Office Director. "To be able to accomplish so many program goals in record time really is a testament to the men and women who make the Raptor America's most advanced fighter."
Completion of the 183 flight hour congressional requirement makes possible a report to Congress from the secretary of defense on why those hours are sufficient to release funds designated for advance procurement of Lot 1.
The Department of Defense review, planned for early December, will ensure that specific DOD program criteria have been met. Completing the criteria enables F-22 program officials to fulfill terms of a memorandum of agreement between the Air Force and F-22 prime contractors Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney and award the Lot 1 advance buy and PRTV contracts, totaling close to $800 million, before Dec. 31.
"Awarding the Lot 1 advance buy and PRTV contracts will be one more positive development in a program full of positives," said Mushala. "This is one step to a major milestone next year when the Defense Acquisition Board convenes in November to determine if the program is ready to proceed with low rate initial production contract award."
The Raptor, the successor to the F-15 air superiority fighter, met or exceeded all of the 1998 DOD program criteria ahead of schedule. These criteria included several flight-test milestones, all of which were completed in the first 90 hours of flight tests.
All the DOD flight-test criteria necessary for contract awards were met by Oct. 10. Flight test criteria included the initiation of flight testing on the second F-22; F-22 air refueling; flight above 30,000 feet; flight above 18 degrees angle of attack; completion of full ground-vibration tests on Raptor 01; and, supersonic flight. In fact, the Raptor exceeded many of the DOD criteria. The F-22 has achieved an altitude of 40,000 feet; 1.4 Mach, 26 degrees angle of attack; a 1,724 mile, nonstop ferry flight; and begun testing with weapons bay doors open while carrying AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles.
Two additional DOD requirements, delivery of the Block 1 avionics software to the F-22's Flying Test Bed and completion of the Critical Design Review for Block 2 software, also were met ahead of schedule. Delivery of the Block 1 software was accomplished Nov. 23 and the Block 2 Critical Design Review was completed Nov. 12.
"This is really just a springboard," said Moore. "We've laid out an aggressive plan for 1999 and we know that we can achieve it."
