FARNBOROUGH, England, July 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Only six months
after reaching Initial Operational Capability (IOC), the Lockheed Martin
(NYSE: LMT) F-22 Raptor continues to perform with overwhelmingly effective
results.
In a discussion with news media representatives today at the
Farnborough International Air Show via live video satellite feed from
Marietta, Ga., Larry Lawson, Executive Vice President and General Manager
of the F-22 Program at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company highlighted the
exceptional results and performance of the F-22 Raptor. He said the F-22,
the only 5th Generation stealth fighter flying today, is performing
exceptionally well in the air. He also touted the continued superb
production delivery accomplishments of the company and said that during the
past three months Lockheed Martin delivered nine Raptors to the U.S. Air
Force from April through June, the most ever for a quarter.
According to U.S. Air Force officials, during recent U.S. joint
exercise Operation Northern Edge in Alaska where the Raptors trained with
the Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines, F-22s dominated several air-to-air
engagements that included facing an opposing force at a four-to-one
disadvantage. In each circumstance the F-22 teams -- paired with
joint-service jets such as F/A-18 Hornets, F-15C/E Eagles, E/A-6B Prowlers
and E-2C Hawkeyes -- were able to soundly defeat their enemies, according
to an Air Force official involved in the exercise.
"We had several weeks' worth of intense joint operations with Sailors,
Marines and Soldiers," said Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, 27th Fighter Squadron
commander. He said Operation Northern Edge offered Air Force, Navy and
Marine forces some of the most robust air-to-air training to date.
"We have been able to show that the integration of the F-22 with
current Department of Defense assets, from fighters to surveillance
aircraft, can produce a team that is unmatched," Tolliver added. "We'll
continue to conduct joint training, so as a total force we'll be prepared
to respond to regional threats anywhere in the world."
"The F-22 is capable of dominating any adversary in the air and or the
ground through an unmatched combination of stealth, supercruise speed and
precision strike," said Lawson. "Raptor pilots love what it brings to the
fight and the maintainers appreciate the effective high tech approach to
sustaining the fleet through the use of onboard diagnostics and an
automated and integrated sustainment system."
"I continue to be amazed at what the F-22 brings to the warfighter and
our nation," said Al Norman, Lockheed Martin F-22 test pilot, also from the
same live video satellite feed in Marietta, Ga. With 500 flight hours in
the Raptor over the past seven years, first with the Air Force and now with
Lockheed Martin, Norman said the overwhelming performance of the Raptor
does not surprise him with the amount of revolutionary engineering that
went into creating the F-22.
Norman has been a test pilot for 12 years and has flown 50 different
aircraft and has accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours. Even with such
superb credentials, he said flying the F-22 brings a smile to his face each
and every time he is in the cockpit of the Raptor. "The maneuverability and
precision of the F-22 are different from any other jet that I have flown.
The Raptor's 5th Generation capabilities are what make it stand out from
the rest."
The F-22 Raptor, the world's most advanced fighter, is built by
Lockheed Martin in partnership with Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. Parts and
subsystems are provided by approximately 1,000 suppliers in 42 states. F-22
production takes place at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facilities in
Marietta, Ga.; Fort Worth, Texas; Palmdale, Calif.; and Meridian, Miss., as
well as at Boeing's plant in Seattle, Wash. Final assembly and initial
flight testing of the Raptor occurs at the Marietta plant facilities.
The Raptor reached Initial Operational Capability in December 2005.
Lockheed Martin has delivered 74 F-22s to the U.S. Air Force as of June 30,
and 107 Raptors are currently on contract. The stealthy 5th Generation
fighter is currently assigned to four bases across the United States:
* Testing is conducted at Edwards AFB, Calif.
* Tactics development takes place at Nellis AFB, Nev.
* Pilots and maintenance teams receive training at Tyndall AFB, Fla.
* Operational F-22s of the 1st Fighter Wing are assigned to two
squadrons at Langley AFB, Va.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000
people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design,
development, manufacture and integration and sustainment of advanced
technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005
sales of $37.2 billion.
For additional information, visit our Web sites:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com
http://fa22-raptor.com
SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
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http://www.lockheedmartin.com
http://fa22-raptor.com
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CONTACT:
Lockheed Martin Chalet, Mary Jo Polidore,
+1-817-308-5553, or mary.jo.polidore@lmco.com , or Catherine
Blades, +1-817-907-5532, or catherine.h.blades@lmco.com , or
David Jewell, +1-817-366-2558, or david.m.jewell@lmco.com , or in
Georgia, Joe Quimby, +1-770-494-2578, or +1-678-662-3128, or
joseph.quimby@lmco.com , all of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Company
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