The U.S. Air Force plans to change the designation of the F/A-22 Raptor to "F-22A" in the near future according to an article on DefenseNews.com.

The F/A-22 Raptor, traveling faster than the speed of sound, dropped a 1,000-pound guided Joint Directed Attack Munition over the Edwards range Dec. 1.

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $2.9 billion fixed-price contract by the U.S. Air Force for continued production of F/A-22 aircraft through November 2007.

F-22A Raptors based at Tyndall AFB took part in an exercise with other aircraft for the first time. The exercise known as "War Day" simulated the defense of a high value target by F-15 Eagles and, for the first time, F-22A Raptors against a numerically superior enemy force made up of Air National Guard F-16 Vipers and a QF-4 Phantom drone.

By now, most people know the F/A-22 Raptor is a lean, mean fighting machine. But what about the people who fly it and fix it? What's it like to know your work, your aircraft, your mission, is to provide American air dominance for decades to come?

When 1,000 pounds of steel and concrete fell a mile and smashed through the back of a truck, it ushered in a new era for the 1st Fighter Wing -- the return of air-to-ground combat. That mission ended in 1975 for the wing.

The familiar sound of flying Raptors will soon fill the Virginia skies again. The 27th Fighter Squadron returns to Langley AFB on Oct. 28 from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, ending two weeks of out-of-town training and bringing the first-ever deployment for the F/A-22 Raptor to a close.

Approximately 150 Airmen from the 27th Fighter Squadron of the 1st Fighter Wing from Langley AFB, Va. arrived at Hill AFB Saturday with the Air Force's newest fighter, the F/A-22 Raptor.

The Raptors are leaving the nest for their first deployment. Nearly 170 Airmen left here Oct. 15 on a two-week deployment to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This may sound like a run-of-the-mill temporary duty assignment. But for the Langley Airmen, it is far from a typical out-of-town operation.

Lockheed Martin delivered the 50th F/A-22 Raptor air dominance fighter to the U.S. Air Force today, marking another milestone in this revolutionary stealth aircraft program. The Raptor can dominate airspace anywhere around the globe, around the clock, and survive in contested airspace better than any other aircraft in the world.

Members of the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis AFB flew the first F/A-22 Raptor Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation mission Aug. 29, releasing Joint Direct Attack Munitions on the Utah Test and Training Range.

Lockheed Martin, builder of the world's only 5th generation fighter aircraft flying today, provided an F/A-22 Raptor program update detailing the game-changing advantages and unmatched capabilities that only the F/A-22 can bring to the United States and its allies.

The Lockheed Martin F/A-22 Raptor team marked another milestone today toward operational fielding of the F/A-22 when the U.S. Air Force officially began Follow-On Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada.

The F/A-22 Raptor fighter aircraft recently received the green light by Department of Defense acquisition officials to enter into full-rate production.

The F/A-22 Raptor fleet at Tyndall AFB for the 43rd Fighter Squadron is now complete with the April 22 arrival of its 23rd airplane.