Κι όμως. Έφτασε και αυτό τα 25. Το F-22 Raptor, το πρώτο και μόνο μέχρι στιγμής Αεροπορικής Υπεροχής μαχητικό αεροσκάφος 5ης Γενιάς μόλις…
…έφτασε τα 25 χρόνια. Ούτε λίγο, ούτε πολύ ένα τέταρτο του αιώνα από τον Σεπτέμβρη του 1997 όταν Marietta της Georgia των ΗΠΑ το F-22 του σπάνιου Raptor Nation πέταξε μετά από έξι χρόνια ανάπτυξης.
Η Lockheed Martin είχε πια κερδίσει την Northrop Grumman και έτσι το Raptor γεννήθηκε. Αν και θα συνεχίσει να εξελίσσεται, το αεροσκάφος αποτελεί την απόλυτη ιπτάμενη πολεμική μηχανή μέχρι να έρθει η next generation της Εναέριας Υπεροχής.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, in support of Polar Force 22-4, March 30, 2022. This is the first Polar Force to be led by the 3rd Wing, with the primary focus on developing Agile Combat Employment and the U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ ability to fight in a contested, anti-access area denial environment. Operationalizing readiness-enhancing concepts like ACE is critical to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Alejandro Peña)
An Airman pilots the F-22 Raptor of the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team at Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival, Battle Creek, Mich., July 5, 2021.
(Courtesy photo)
The U.S. Air Force 354th Air Expeditionary Wing and Marine Aircraft Group 12 perform a
capabilities demonstration during a pre-planned readiness exercise at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, July 7, 2022. The demonstration included five U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets, eight F-35B Lightning IIs, a KC-130J Super Hercules, 10 U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors and 10 F-35A Lightning II’s, showcasing a high level of readiness and joint service capability in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. MCAS Iwakuni is uniquely qualified to enable the Joint Force, be it through providing use of the station’s collocated harbor and airfield, serving as a staging point for non-organic aircraft operations, or any number of other operational activities. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Jessika Braden)
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 525th Fighter Squadron, 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, arrives in support of Pacific Iron 2021 at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, July 18, 2021. Pacific Iron 2021 is a Pacific Air Forces dynamic force employment operation to project forces into the USINDOPACOM’s area of responsibility in support of the 2018 National Defense Strategy which called on the military to be a more lethal, adaptive, and resilient force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger)
U.S. Air Force Capt. Matthew Gibson, a 525th Fighter Squadron F-22 Raptor pilot, performs a preflight inspection before take-off during Polar Force 22-4 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 30, 2022. Polar Force is a readiness exercise centered on developing service members who are ready for world-wide deployment, real-world proficiency in response to crisis, and to deter aggressors by emphasizing the U.S.’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and regional stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Emily Farnsworth)
Maj. Joshua Gunderson, F-22 Raptor demonstration team commander and pilot, conducts a minimum radius turn during rehearsal for the Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio, or FIDAE, Latin America’s largest aerospace, defense and security exhibition in Santiago, Chile, April 3, 2022. FIDAE provided an opportunity to engage with industry, partner nation air and space leadership, as well as visitors, to strengthen understanding and shared responsibility of space behaviors integral to the increasingly digital and interconnected world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Donald Hudson)
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, fly over Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal, Northern Territory, Australia, Aug. 18, 2022. Every day the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Pacific Air Force strive to ensure a free and open region. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tristan Biese)