The Lockheed Martin -led F/A-22 Raptor industry team has delivered the air dominance fighter program's last Dedicated Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (DIOT&E) aircraft -- Raptor 4011 -- with yesterday's signing of formal acceptance documents here by U.S. Government officials.

"The delivery of Raptor 11 completes the five-ship Raptor fleet required by the Air Force for DIOT&E," said Ralph Heath, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company executive vice president and F/A-22 program general manager. "Raptor 4011 will now be flown to Lockheed Martin's facility in Palmdale, California, where it will be prepared to support the timely start of DIOT&E pilot training, scheduled to begin in February up the road at Edwards Air Force Base."

Once at Edwards, Raptor 11 will be assigned to the Air Force Operational Test & Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) detachment there, and be used to demonstrate the F/A-22 lethality, survivability and reliability. AFOTEC's overall mission is to determine whether F/A-22 is capable of, and suitable for, operational use.

The F/A-22 Raptor is built by Lockheed Martin in partnership with Boeing, powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, and made from parts and subsystems provided by approximately 1,200 subcontractors and suppliers in 46 states. Principal aircraft production activities take place at Lockheed Martin facilities in Marietta, Ga., Meridian, Miss., Fort Worth, Texas, and Palmdale, Calif., as well as at Boeing's plant in Seattle, Wash. The engines are built in East Hartford, Conn.

The Raptor's low-observable control surface edges, antennas and radomes are built in Palmdale while its mid-fuselage is built in Fort Worth. Boeing builds the aircraft's aft-fuselage and wings, while Lockheed Martin is the program's principal systems integrator.

The Raptor will replace the aging F-15 Eagle as America's premier front-line fighter jet starting in 2005. The Raptor has unprecedented fighter and attack capabilities with its balanced design of stealth, supercruise speed and extreme agility, along with advanced integrated avionics and the pilot-friendly cockpit. These attributes make the Raptor truly transformational and will support the goal of quick, decisive victory in future conflicts, saving American and allied lives.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leader in the design, development, systems integration, production and support of advanced military aircraft and related technologies. Its customers include the military services of the United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, T-50, C-5, C-130, C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., headquartered in Bethesda, Md. Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. Employing about 125,000 people worldwide, Lockheed Martin had 2001 sales of $24 billion.

For information on Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

For information on Lockheed Martin Corp., visit: http://www.lmaeronautics.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company