Finally! 1st F-22 Raptor delivered

Today, October 27, 2004 at 9:27am eastern - Lockheed Martin delivered the first F/A-22 Raptor to the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base. The fighter jets cost $258 million each - about five times the cost of the F-15, the plane it will replace.

The Raptor is now an operational US fighter jet.

More Info

Hey Bios, can I borrow $258 Million
The footage I have seen of this plane in action was mind blowing, Oh yeah I'm gonna need somone to teach me how to fly it

What a gorgeous plane. Can't wait to hear how it performs in world wide tests against other nations.

Originally posted by infinite8
What a gorgeous plane. Can't wait to hear how it performs in world wide tests against other nations.

That won't happen for a very long time. The US is going to keep it's cards close to their chest so to speak.

Any one know how long it will be untill the first active service squadron of these things will be up and running?

WTF happened to the price tag! Thats twice of what i was expecting.

grrr..... I told the Air Force to not make it out of Platinum, but they just kept insisting.

I too was under the impression that they were going to be cheaper than that. I heard about $150mil ... and even that's a lot for an aircraft. Perhaps the $258mil is for more than just the jet itself.

Here ya go.

www.globalsecurity.org...

Planned Production Lots
Lot Sizes
Contract Award
(Calendar Year)
Aircraft are to be delivered approximately two years after contract award.

Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTV)
2 1998
[FY1999]
Lot 1
(PRTV) 6 1999
[FY2000]
Lot 2 10 2001
[FY2001]
Lot 3 16 2001
Lot 4 24 2002
Lots 5-11 36 per year Yearly 2003-2009
Lot 12 29 2010

Originally posted by American Mad Man

Any one know how long it will be untill the first active service squadron of these things will be up and running?

I think there are already 25 Raptors in a training squadron - I forget which AFB they are at - today's delivery represnets the first delivery to a US Combat squadron. I hear delivery will probably accelerate around the first of the year.

What I think happens is that the end of a 30 year production span and say "Look it was on average...eventually cheaper" they just don't add "around the time we dropped the price to $50 mill to attract buyers on the tail end when sales were dropping off"

Where can the RAAF sign on for five new F-15 Squadrons?


BTW I love the shot. I think I'm inclined to stop knock the aircraft, just not the price tag....paying for R&D the taxpayer already forked out on.

Cost per unit ( flyaway ) is 81 million. I think I will stick to my Cessna Cardinal.

Originally posted by jra
I too was under the impression that they were going to be cheaper than that. I heard about $150mil ...

I think original price tag given by LM was just "hoax" to get this deal.
(wasn't it that YF-23's price tag was too high at the time)


I suggest following closely changes in LM's profit on coming years.

No longer a prototype plane sweet That is one sweet plane I wonder whos the lucky pilot that will get the first one.

First Raptor in a Combat squadron that would be nice

Originally posted by biosFinally! 1st F-22 Raptor delivered

- Hmmm, anyone care to bet on how long till the first 'significant problems have arisen' stories appear?

I have no doubt it'll work out in the end but I'd bet my shirt on there being several serious problems to be tackled yet over the next 2 - 5 yrs before it is all neat and routine.

[edit on 28-10-2004 by sminkeypinkey]

I thought the F-22 was a plane that MUST be operated from a air force base? Its not designed to land on carriers right? How are they gonna fly it to Iraq or something? And a question, wats the F-22's combat radius?

Originally posted by COWlan
I thought the F-22 was a plane that MUST be operated from a air force base? Its not designed to land on carriers right? How are they gonna fly it to Iraq or something? And a question, wats the F-22's combat radius?

In time of trouble they would be either:
1. Transferred to a forward base of operations - or
2. Flown in a squadron with a tanker to the zone of operations.

No, they do not take off from carriers, that's for the soon coming F-35.

I'm sure we'll be finding out more about its combat performance soon enough, given the way things are shaping up.

Your Mileage May Vary

Originally posted by COWlan
I thought the F-22 was a plane that MUST be operated from a air force base? Its not designed to land on carriers right? How are they gonna fly it to Iraq or something?

Good people can disagree, of course, but I'm pretty sure that airbases have a great deal to do with why the U.S. is in Iraq in the first place.

From there, the entire Middle East is within range of just about any combat aircraft. Combat radii vary depending on mission configuration, and are unlikely to be accurately published -- at least for now.

As for getting them to Iraq, that's what God invented in-flight refueling for.

F-22 doesn't cost 258 mil.$, in the 2005 budget there is 4.1 billion for 24 Raptors (procurement, integration, spares, training etc.).

Time for another design challenge between Northrup, LockM, and boeing for the future aircraft!

As for getting them to Iraq, that's what God invented in-flight refueling for.

You mean Sir Alan Cobham was god????

I knew he was clever but bloody hell!

Originally posted by longbow
F-22 doesn't cost 258 mil.$, in the 2005 budget there is 4.1 billion for 24 Raptors (procurement, integration, spares, training etc.).

I dont think it costs that much either.

The FY05 budget puts it at 170 mill a piece, so I doubt its over that.

Different sites say different figures. Heres some sites that talk about it, the number ranges from 260 million to 91 million.

91 million apiece

121 million apiece

130 million apiece

258 million apiece

260 million apiece

So it appears that no one really knows the price tag on the greatest jet ever built.