It continued: “The document also says that service requested and got approval from the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense for more time to complete this report, work on which only started in December 2009. The site, which was able to obtain a declassified copy of a heavily redacted briefing titled “F-22 Export Configuration Study” that was dated March 2010, noted that “the Air Force had been required to conduct this study into the feasibility of an export-configured F-22 through a provision in the ‘SAP Annex of the 2009 Appropriations Bill.’” Air Force to look into exactly what it might take to make an export version of the F-22.”

You can enjoy the 10-minute clip below, but beware, there’s more than a single Raptor in there.According to the War Zone, “the matter of exporting the jets still stirs strong opinions more than a decade after Congress made it impossible to do so for fear of the secrets of the aircraft’s many sensitive components and capabilities leaking out. It was shot by two airmen at an undisclosed military base and published at the end of August by Military in Action, and it shows the plane’s preflight checks, but also the moment it takes off. For that reason, and because pilots needs to be safe while operating them, a lot of prep work is performed before every of the Raptors’ outings.Įxactly how much prep work can be seen in the video below.

With an estimated cost of $334 million, including research and development, the Raptor is a valuable toy to have around. It can also fly for up to 1,841 miles (2,962 km) without the need for refueling. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines, it is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 2 (1,534 mph/2,469 kph), and can fly at altitudes of over 50,000 feet (15 km). The American military is the only one fielding them, and it plans to keep doing so at least until the 2040s.ĭespite the problems it faced over the years, the F-22 is an incredible machine. It was also incredibly expensive to make, its export to allied nations was banned, and that eventually spelled doom for the machine.Īs fate would have it, the company behind the Raptor, Lockheed Martin, ended up making exactly 195 of them, 186 operational planes, and 9 for testing purposes. Sadly for the plane, America’s enemies were not so keen on fighting wars the good old-fashioned way, with national armies involved, so the Raptor soon became a plane without a purpose.

F22 raptor cost