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Philippine Air Force Acquires 8 F-22 Raptors; news
Topic Started: Sun Apr 27, 2014 12:44 am (172 Views)
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PHOTO: F-22 Raptor

PHILIPPINE AIR FORCE GETS 8 F-22 RAPTOR

Philippine Air Force Acquires 8 F-22 Raptor Fighter Jets
By Rico Mossesgeld | 8list – Tue, Apr 1, 2014

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has taken advantage of the Aquino administration’s good relations with the US government, today finalizing the purchase of eight F-22 Raptor fighter jets in a formal signing ceremony at the Lockheed Martin aircraft plant at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in the US state of Georgia.

“With this historic purchase, the Philippines further solidifies its ties with a long-time ally, and acquires cutting-edge technology at very reasonable cost” said Lieutenant General Lauro Catalino Dela Cruz, commanding officer of the Philippine Air Force and one of the signers of the final contract. The F-22 figther development program was started back in the early 90s to maintain the US’ leadership in the fighter jet race. Despite the design’s age however, it remains one of the most advanced fighter jets in the world.

President Aquino was unable to attend the ceremony, opting to remain in the Philippines as the latest wave of territorial disputes with regional powerhouse China demanded his attention at home. Vice-President Jejomar Binay was representing the Philippine Government in his stead. “These F-22s will be key to maintaining Philippine security, internally and regionally,” Binay said.

In effect, the Philippines has committed to spend ₱26.85 Billion ($600M) on the purchase of the 8 used aircraft, through a 50-year payment plan that will be financed by government treasury bonds. General Mark Welsh, the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force (USAF) and also a co-signatory, said that both parties were excited about the future. “The Philippines gets the air superiority capability it needs, while we can use the proceeds from this sale to further develop the F-35 Lightning program.”

The sale was welcome for many observers, who say that it was an opportunity for the US to gain some return for the troubled F-22 program. As journalist and historian Stanley Karnow has observed: “The Raptor has long been a headache for government officials and the Air Force, who’ve found that the fighter jet was too expensive to produce and too advanced to export to other countries. This case however is unique. American secrets will remain safe in Philippine hands.”

Local military insiders are also optimistic for the long-term prospects of the Philippines. “The F-22 has a combat radius of over 700 kilometers, which means it can project power over sensitive areas like Scarborough Shoal”, said a source who asked to remain anonymous.

However, opposition US politicians have raised concerns about the transaction, saying that the Philippines can’t be trusted with the advanced technology designed into the F-22. “We all know Filipinos have always respected American authority and will always toe the line,” said Congressman Joe Barton from Texas. “Yet, if these planes get shot down over the South China Sea, who’s to say the wreckage won’t be recovered by the Chinese?”

The AFP Modernization Act was signed into law by former President Fidel V. Ramos back in 1995. The act allotted at least ₱50 Billion for modernization of the Philippine Army, Air Force, and Navy. The program however was cancelled in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. The act expired last 2010, until Aquino renewed it with Executive Order No. 877-A, s. 2010 and made the acquisition of the F-22s his first priority. Administration sources, who declined to be named for this report, also revealed that privately, the President was tired of the many “All Air, No Force” jokes directed towards the PAF.

Once delivery of the eight F-22s to Villamor Airbase in Pasay City is complete, USAF personnel will brief their PAF counterparts on the proper maintenance and operation of the Raptors. Dela Cruz will become the man in control of the Philippines’ most expensive fighting force in recent memory. He was understandably excited after the signing ceremony. “I can’t wait to show everyone in the region and the world”, said the PAF general, “what the Philippines can do!”

https://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-air-force-acquires-8-f-22-raptor-065737879.html

Edited by Flipzi, Sun Apr 27, 2014 12:45 am.
Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan
Manila, Philippines
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Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supersonic supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence roles. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is the prime contractor and is responsible for the majority of the airframe, weapon systems and final assembly of the F-22. Program partner Boeing Defense, Space & Security provides the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

The aircraft was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 prior to formally entering service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Despite a protracted development, the United States Air Force considers the F-22 a critical component of their tactical air power, and claims that the aircraft is unmatched by any known or projected fighter. Lockheed Martin claims that the Raptor's combination of stealth, speed, agility, precision and situational awareness, combined with air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, makes it the best overall fighter in the world today. Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, former Chief of the Australian Defence Force, said in 2004 that the "F-22 will be the most outstanding fighter plane ever built."

The high cost of the aircraft, a lack of clear air-to-air missions because of delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the cheaper and more versatile F-35 led to the end of F-22 production. A final procurement tally of 187 operational aircraft was established in 2009; the final F-22 rolled off the assembly line on 13 December 2011 during a ceremony at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

Starting in 2010, the F-22 was plagued by oxygen system problems that contributed to a fatal crash. In 2011 the fleet was grounded for four months before resuming flight, reports of oxygen issues persisted.In July 2012, the Air Force announced that the hypoxia-like symptoms experienced were caused by a faulty valve in the pilots' pressure vest; the valve was replaced and the filtration system also changed.

Role Stealth air superiority fighter
National origin United States
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Boeing Defense, Space & Security
First flight 7 September 1997[1]
Introduction 15 December 2005
Status In service
Primary user United States Air Force
Produced F-22: 1996–2011[2]
Number built 195 (eight test and 187 operational) aircraft[3]
Program cost US$66.7 billion[4]
Unit cost
US$150 million (flyaway cost for FY2009)[5]
Developed from Lockheed YF-22
Developed into Lockheed Martin X-44 MANTA

Lockheed Martin FB-22

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.90 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56 m)
Height: 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m)
Wing area: 840 ft² (78.04 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 64A?05.92 root, NACA 64A?04.29 tip
Empty weight: 43,340 lb (19,700 kg)
Loaded weight: 64,460 lb (29,300 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 83,500 lb (38,000 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 Pitch Thrust vectoring turbofans
Dry thrust: 23,500 lb (104 kN) each
Thrust with afterburner: 35,000+ lb (156+ kN) each
Fuel capacity: 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) internally, or 26,000 lb (11,900 kg) with two external fuel tanks. About 3,050 gal or 20,333 lb JP-8 (without additions) internally.
Performance

Maximum speed: **At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h) [estimated]
Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h)
Range: >1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km)with 2 external fuel tanks
Combat radius: 410 nmi (with 100 nmi in supercruise) (471 mi, 759 km)
Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km)
Service ceiling: >65,000 ft (19,812 m)
Wing loading: 77 lb/ft² (375 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 1.09 (1.26 with loaded weight & 50% fuel)
Maximum design g-load: -3.0/+9.0 g

Armament
Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A2 Vulcan 6-barreled Gatling cannon in right wing root, 480 rounds
Air to air loadout:
6× AIM-120 AMRAAM
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder
Air to ground loadout:
2× AIM-120 AMRAAM and
2× AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection, and one of the following:
2× 1,000 lb (450 kg) JDAM or
8× 250 lb (110 kg) GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs
Hardpoints: 4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry 600 U.S. gallon drop tanks or weapons, each with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg).

Avionics
RWR (Radar warning receiver): 250 nmi (463 km) or more
Radar: 125–150 miles (200–240 km) against 1 m2 (11 sq ft) targets (estimated range)
Chemring MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor
Alfred Alexander L. Marasigan
Manila, Philippines
getflipzi@yahoo.com

http://z6.invisionfree.com/flipzi

" Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them!"

" People don't care what we know until they know we care."
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