Air-to-air capability The F-22 is capable of carrying existing and planned air-to-air weapons. These include a full complement of medium-range missiles such as the AIM-120A advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) and short-range missiles such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder.
Joint Direct Attack Munitions The F-22 also will have a modernized version of the proven M61 internal gun and growth provisions for other weapons. The aircraft also will be capable of carrying joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) and other ground-attack weapons.
Air-to-surface capability The F-22 has a secondary role to attack surface targets. The aircraft will be capable of carrying two 1,000-pound joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) internally and will use on-board avionics for navigation and weapons delivery support.
Specifications Designation – AIM-120 Type – Radar-guided medium-range air-to-air missile Contractors – Hughes Missile Systems and Raytheon Company Powerplant – Aerojet two-stage solid propellant rocket motor Guidance – Inertial midcourse, with active radar terminal homing Warhead – High explosive, directed fragmentation weighing 48 LB Dimensions – Length: 12 ft. 0 in.; Body Diameter: 7 in.; Fin Span: 1 ft., 6 in. (AIM-120C) Weight – 345 lbs. Performance – Cruising speed approximately Mach 4; Range: Approximately 30 miles F-22 Loadout – When the F-22 is in first-day-of-a-war combat configuration, all missiles are carried in the main weapons bay only. Typical combat load – Six AIM-120C. Three in each side of the main weapons bay with the center missile staggered ahead of the inboard and outboard missiles. The F-22 can carry four of the older, longer-finned AIM-120A if necessary.
AIM-9 SIDEWINDER
Specifications Designation – AIM-9 Nickname – Sidewinder Type – Heat-seeking (infrared) short range air-to-air missile Contractors – Raytheon Company and Loral Autoneutronics Powerplant – Thiokol Hercules Mk. 36 Mod 11 solid propellant rocket motor Guidance – Solid-state infrared (IR) homing Warhead – High explosive, blast fragmentation weighing 20.8 lb. Dimensions – Length: 9 ft. 5 in.; Body diameter: 5 in.; Fin Span: 2 ft. 1 in. Weight – 191 lbs. Performance – Maximum speed above Mach 2; Range: More than 10 miles F-22 Loadout – Two AIM-9M (One missile in each side weapons bay) NOTE: There are no plans to carry the AIM-9 in the F-22's main weapons bay.
GBU-32 JDAM Joint Direct Attack Munition
Specifications Designation – GBU-32 Type – JDAM is a tail guidance kit that converts existing unguided free-fall bombs into near precision-guided "smart" munitions. It also includes strap-on strakes that attach to the bomb's body for stability. Contractor – McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Powerplant – None Guidance – Inertial Navigation System (INS)/Global Positioning System (GPS) Warhead – For F-22, the JDAM tail guidance kit fits on the Mk. 83 1,000-pound-class conventional bomb Weight – Weight of the Mk. 83 bomb and tail guidance kit is approximately 1,015 pounds Performance – The combination of the stealthy F-22 and the precision capability of the GBU-32 allows the F-22 pilot to drop the weapon from altitudes of approximately 40,000 feet; Range: Approximately 15 miles F-22 Loadout – The GBU-32 is only carried in the F-22's main weapons bay. Typical combat load – Two GBU-32. One GBU-32 is carried inboard in each side of the main weapons bay. When loaded with GBU-32, there is still sufficient room in the F-22's main weapons bay to carry two AIM-120C air-to-air missiles (one in each side of the bay, in addition to the two AIM-9 Sidewinders in the side weapons bays), which means that even on a mission to attack ground targets, the F-22 retains significant air-to-air combat capability.
M61A2 20-mm Cannon
Specifications Designation – M61A2 Type – Six-barrel, hydraulically operated 20mm Gatling gun Contractor – General Dynamics Armament Systems Rate of Fire – 6,000 rounds per minute Rounds Available – 480 Effective Range – Several thousand yards
Information from the web sites of Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney were used in this story.