The F-22 Team, led by Lockheed Martin Corporation , has received an $862 million contract to finish building the first lot of 10 F-22 Raptor fighter jets, all of which will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force during 2003. Previously during fiscal year 2001, the Pentagon had provided $1.2 billion to the F-22 Team to begin building these aircraft. Lockheed Martin's portion of the total funded value is approximately $1.4 billion.

The September 19 award follows the Pentagon's August 2001 decision to authorize low rate initial production (LRIP) of the Raptor. In addition to the aircraft, the contract also provides funding for associated support equipment.

Flown from the F-22 Combined Test Force facility at Edwards AFB, Calif., five Raptors now comprise the flight test fleet. The last three test aircraft will be delivered to Edwards by the end of 2001. Since the start of testing nearly three years ago, the F-22 test program has flown nearly 1,400 hours and completed more than 600 flight test sorties.

Slated to be operational in 2005, the F-22 air-dominance fighter with unprecedented qualities of maneuverable stealth, super cruise and integrated avionics will replace the U.S. Air Force's aging fleet of F-15 fighters.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin