Tampa Bay AirFest 2016 An F-22 Raptor from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., prepares to land at MacDill AFB, Fla., March 18, 2016, for AirFest 2016. The F-22 was set up as a static display for visitors to get a close-up look at the world’s best air dominance fighter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Cody R. Miller)
F-16 Viper and F-22 Raptor demo teams refuel with Okies An F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot flies towards Joint Base Langley?Eustis, Va., March 8, 2021. The F-22 team, assigned to Air Combat Command, received fuel from the 507th Air Refueling Wing during their flight back home after performing at an air show. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mary Begy)
190211-Z-MQ826-131 An Air Force F-22 Raptor is parked on the flightline at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Feb. 11, 2019. Jets were staged on the flightline as part of a routine night-flying training mission. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Bryan Myhr)
Training tactical experts An F-22 Raptor assigned to the 433rd Weapons Squadron, U.S. Air Force Weapons School, takes off for a training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 5, 2022. The weapons school trains tactical experts and leaders to control and exploit air, space and cyber on behalf of the joint force. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)
190728-F-VA182-1008 Maj. Paul Lopez, F-22 Demonstration Team commander, flies a twilight demonstration during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis., July 28, 2019. Founded in 2007, the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team showcases the unique capabilities of the world’s premier fifth-generation fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. Samuel Eckholm)
Tyndall’s last F-22 Raptors A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing takes off from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, July 25, 2023. The remaining F-22 Raptors assigned to the 325th FW are being flown to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, as Tyndall Air Force Base’s flying mission transitions to the F-35A Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stefan Alvarez)
Rising Raptor An F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, takes off for Red Flag-Nellis 24-1 mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Jan. 16, 2024. These exercises build partnerships and interoperability among our allies and across multiple domains. Red Flag exercises provide aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat sorties in the safety of a training environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)
F-22 Raptor’s 25th Anniversary An F-22 Raptor assigned to the 3rd Wing lands on the flightline at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 20, 2022. This year marks the aircraft’s 25th anniversary of consistently providing America and its allies with fifth-generation air superiority. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Patrick Sullivan)
Air Force Photos Crewmembers work on an F-22 Raptor from the 525 Fighter Squadron, after it returns from a mission during exercise Northern Edge 2015 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 18, 2015. Northern Edge is Alaska’s premier joint training exercise designed to practice operations, techniques and procedures, as well as enhance interoperability among the services. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. William Banton)
Raptor check up 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 for worldwide deployment, proficient in crisis response, and ready to deter aggressors by emphasizing regional stability and the U.S.’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Emily Farnsworth)
F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot performs during the Singapore Airshow 2020 Maj. Joshua Gunderson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot, performs during an aerial demonstration at the Singapore Airshow 2020 near the Changi Exhibition Center Feb. 12, 2020. This event marks the first time the F-22 flew air-demo operations with the U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II at the Singapore Airshow. The biennial defense exhibition is an opportunity for the U.S. to demonstrate combat capabilities through static displays and aerial demonstrations while strengthening its partnership with Singapore. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Johnathon Wines)
Radical maneuvers Maj. Joshua Gunderson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander and pilot, performs during the Orlando Air and Space Show at the Orlando Sanford International Airport, Fla., Oct. 30, 2022. The F-22A is a fifth-generation fighter incorporating fourth-generation technology, heightened maneuvering capabilities, the ability to fly at supersonic speed without afterburners and enhanced pilot situational awareness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Hastings)
Going supersonic An F-22 Raptor executes a supersonic flyby over the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis June 22, 2009, during Northern Edge 2009, a joint exercise in Alaska focusing on detecting and tracking units at sea, in the air and on land. (U.S. Navy photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Ronald Dejarnett)
F-22 lands at Spangdahlem An F-22 Raptor pilot assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., conducts a preflight check at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 13, 2017. This F-22 flying training deployment is an example of how the U.S. is engaged, postured, and ready with credible force to assure, deter, and defend in an increasingly complex security environment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder)
15th Wing vice commander completes fini flight Col. Geoffrey E. Lohmiller, 15th Wing vice commander, exits an F-22 Raptor for the last time during his fini flight at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 26, 2020. Lohmiller, who served as the vice wing commander since May 2018, is expected to retire later this year. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Nelson Jr.)
180824-F-RF516-1003 Maj. Paul “Loco” Lopez, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team pilot, highlights the jet’s capabilities at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Aug. 24, 2018. The Raptor performs a wide range of aerial maneuvers making it the U.S. Air Force’s leading fighter aircraft. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo)
F-22 fires AIM-9X Sidewinder missile The first guided launch of the AIM-9X from an F-22 Raptor was Feb. 26, 2015, by Maj. Christopher Guarente, 411th FLTS assistant director of operations and F-22 test pilot. The AIM-9X is an advanced infrared missile and the newest of the Sidewinder family of short-range air-to-air missiles carried on a wide range of fighter jets. (Photo by David Henry/Lockheed Martin)
Edwards F-22 Raptor performs aerial refueling using synthetic fuel An Edwards F-22 Raptor receives synthetic fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker during an aerial refueling test using an alternative jet engine fuel Aug. 28. Organizations involved in this endeavor include the 411th Flight Test Squadron, Air Force Research Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Pratt and Whitney, and Honeywell. The test was done as part of the Secretary of the Air Force’s initiative to certify the entire fleet on synthetic fuel, an effort to lessen foreign dependence on oil. (Lockheed Martin photo)
191116-F-DN281-0481 A 433rd Weapons Squadron F-22 Raptor fighter jet pops flares during the Aviation Nation 2019 air show at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Nov. 16, 2019. The F-22’s combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryan Guthrie)