Lockheed Martin Delivers 100th F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter to The U.S. Air Force

    MARIETTA, Ga., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (
 LMT) formally delivered the 100th F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter to the
 U.S. Air Force in ceremonies here today. The milestone aircraft (Air Force
 serial number 05-0100) will be assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron at
 Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
     "The F-22 is a testament to the skills of engineers and technicians
 from more than 1,000 companies across America," said Lockheed Martin
 Executive Vice President and F-22 Program General Manager Larry Lawson.
 "This delivery marks a significant milestone for the U.S. Air Force and the
 F-22 program. The Raptor is providing top cover for America and our allies.
 We have developed the most capable fighter in the world, which is exactly
 what the men and women defending us deserve."
     During the ceremony, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne signed
 the DD-250 form, the official U.S. government acceptance document. The 90th
 Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf is expected to receive its full complement of
 20 F-22s by the fall of 2008.
     Starting with the first parts being made, production of each Raptor
 takes a total span of approximately 30 months. The various parts are sent
 to the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga., for final assembly. With
 30 positions on the assembly line in the 3.5 million square foot main
 production building in Marietta, the elapsed time in the major mate and
 final assembly process is approximately 12 months.
     The forward fuselage of the F-22 is assembled in Marietta. The
 mid-fuselage, which contains many of the aircraft's subsystems and the
 weapons bays, arrives in Marietta from the Lockheed Martin facility in Fort
 Worth, Texas. The aft fuselage, which contains the equipment and
 connections needed for installation of the F-22's F-119 engines, designed
 and built by Pratt & Whitney, arrives from the Boeing facility in Seattle,
 Wash. After fuselage mate, using laser alignment to ensure a precise fit,
 the aircraft receives its vertical and horizontal stabilizers, as well as
 its wings. The verticals are assembled at the Lockheed Martin plant in
 Meridian, Miss., and Boeing builds the Raptor's fuel-carrying wings.
     Raptors are currently assigned to five U.S. bases. Flight testing takes
 place at Edwards AFB, Calif. Operational tactics development is ongoing at
 Nellis AFB, Nev. Pilot and crew chief training takes place at Tyndall AFB,
 Fla. Operational Raptors are assigned to Langley AFB, Va. and at Elmendorf
 AFB, Alaska. Raptors will also be based at Holloman AFB, N.M., and Hickam
 AFB, Hawaii.
     Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000
 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design,
 development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced
 technology systems, products, and services. The corporation reported 2006
 sales of $39.6 billion.
 
 

SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company