28 years ago, on September 7, 1997, the F-22 Raptor made its maiden flight, marking the dawn of the fifth-generation era. To this day, it remains unsurpassed in multiple performance categories. The U.S. has never exported the aircraft, and its real capabilities remain closely guarded.
The F-22 was extraordinarily expensive. By the late 2000s, the program's total unit cost — including development — was estimated at around $380 million per jet.
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Much has already been written about the F-22 Raptor from Lockheed Martin, but here are five lesser-known facts that still make this fighter one of a kind.
Raptor — Not a Dinosaur
The F-22's official name is Raptor. Many assume this refers to the prehistoric Velociraptor dinosaur. In reality, "raptor" in English means a bird of prey — a continuation of the U.S. Air Force’s tradition, following the F-15 Eagle and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
There was never a dinosaur formally called a "raptor." That association stems from Jurassic Park, where characters shortened names (Triceratops to Trike, Tyrannosaurus to T-Rex, Velociraptor to Raptor).
Interestingly, Lockheed originally wanted to call the jet Lightning II (later used for the F-35) or SuperStar, while the Air Force favored Rapier. Yet in April 1997, the aircraft was unveiled as the F-22 Raptor — and the film's influence on the naming decision cannot be ruled out.
The F-22 Designation
The fighter was first introduced to the public in 1997 as the F-22. In 2002, the Pentagon redesignated it as F/A-22, adding the A for Attack under the Tri-Service designation system. This was meant to highlight its ability to strike ground targets in addition to its primary role as a fighter.
In truth, the F-22 was always designed primarily for air superiority. Ground attack was only a secondary capability. But after spending $74 billion on development and production, Congress wanted more than a single-role jet, and the Pentagon adjusted the label accordingly.
Finally, in 2005, the designation was changed again to F-22A. The A now denoted the initial production variant. No F-22B or F-22C versions were ever produced.
Supermaneuverability of the F-22
russian analysts — long before their "no analogs" propaganda era — often claimed that while the F-22 might dominate at long range, the Su-27 or its derivatives would easily outmaneuver it in close dogfights with flashy moves like the Cobra.
In reality, the Raptor was engineered for extreme maneuverability. Its advanced aerodynamics, low wing loading, and thrust-vectoring engines with unique flat nozzles give it superlative handling. Countless public demonstrations have shown its aerobatic capabilities, yet russian sources continue to circulate this myth.
F-22 "Beast Mode"
Most images of the F-22 show it in stealth configuration, carrying all weapons internally (two AIM-9X Sidewinders and six AIM-120 AMRAAMs). Yet the jet can also be fitted with external pylons under its wings, providing four additional hardpoints rated at 2,270 kg each.
Using multiple ejector racks, this allows the Raptor to carry up to eight extra AIM-120s — at the cost of reduced stealth. This configuration is known as "Beast Mode." However, no official photographs of the F-22 in full Beast Mode have been released, only partial views of its components.
The Raptor's Only Confirmed Air-to-Air Victories
Despite its unrivaled design, the F-22 has never fought in the role it was built for: air superiority against a peer air force. That would require facing a state with advanced combat aviation. The closest it came was escorting B-2 bombers over Iran during Operation Midnight Hammer.
Still, the F-22 does have confirmed kills — against Chinese surveillance balloons. The most famous occurred on February 4, 2023, when a Raptor destroyed a balloon with an AIM-9X missile at 17.7 km altitude.
The Pentagon later confirmed that on February 10 and 11, F-22s shot down two more similar objects over Alaska and Canada.
The fighter's combat debut came earlier, in 2014, when it conducted precision strikes against ISIS ground targets in the Middle East.
A Legacy of the Cold War
The F-22 Raptor was born as a weapon for a war with the Soviet Union. Early plans called for 1,000 aircraft. After the USSR collapsed, that number was cut to 750, and by 1997 reduced again to 339.
In the end, only 195 production aircraft were delivered, along with eight prototypes. Production ceased in 2011.
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