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The F-22A Raptor (also designated F-22 or F/A-22A in older titles) is a fifth-generation air superiority fighter. The F-22A is notable for its high speed and stealth technology.

As an advanced and well-known aircraft, the F-22A has been the aircraft of choice for many Ace Combat protagonists, featured on many game covers, and involved in numerous conflicts throughout the series.

History[]

Strangereal[]

In the Strangereal universe, the F-22A saw much earlier development than in our real world, having entered service by the mid- to late-20th century. It was slowly adopted as a valuable aircraft for high-ranking pilots, seeing combat as early as the Belkan War in 1995[1] and the Usean coup d'état in 1998.[2]

By the start of the 21st century, the F-22A was produced in larger quantities around the world for many air forces. The ISAF Air Force provided an F-22A for the famed ace, Mobius 1, towards the end of the Continental War. The ISAF later procured three more F-22As for use in the Mobius Squadron during Operation Judgement Day.[3] The Federal Erusea Air Force also made use of the F-22A, albeit in fairly limited numbers. One notable Erusean F-22A pilot was an ace by the callsign of Abell, who was encountered over Ice Creek by Mobius 1 during Operation Aurora. [4]

The Osean Air Defense Force had numerous units of the aircraft which were deployed in force near the end of the Circum-Pacific War, including some used by warmongers during the Battle of Sudentor.[5]

During the Emmeria-Estovakia War, the Estovakian Air Force made use of the F-22A. An Estovakian F-22A ace, Lucijan "Pegas" Markovic, was renowned for his actions at the start of the Estovakian Civil War, which outshined both the Strigon and Vampire Teams.[6] However, despite his skill, he was shot down during the Invasion of Gracemeria by Talisman.[7] In the latter stages of the war, Estovakia deployed large numbers of F-22As and Su-47 Berkuts during the battle of the Moloch Desert,[8] the defense of Gracemeria,[9] the cruise missile attack on Gracemeria,[10] and the defense of the Chandelier.[11]

Ace Combat 7 F-22A and Su-30M by Lighthouse

An Osean F-22A chasing an Erusean Su-30M2 near the International Space Elevator

During the Lighthouse War of 2019, both the Osean Air Defense Force and the Erusean Air Force operated the Raptor as an advanced fighter. The Raptor was more commonly seen in action in the later stages of the war; many of the fighters on both sides in Operation Daredevil were Raptors.[12] Notable pilots include Erusean ace Cyril Noiret, callsign "Tempest", who defended the International Space Elevator from a coalition of Osean and Erusean forces, and Trigger, who used the F-22A when he shot down both ADF-11F Ravens.[13]

In 2020, the F-22A was utilized by the Aurelian Air Force during the Aurelian War.[14] Both Falco Squadron[15] and Aurelian ace Gryphus 1 made use of the F-22A during the final engagements of the war[16][17] after previously using the XFA-24A Apalis.[18]

By the 2030s, the F-22A's appeal was slowly declining; ECM technology was rapidly advancing and anti-stealth radar networks were being developed at a similar pace, countering the F-22A's main advantages of radar-guided missiles and stealth. Its airframe, however, remains iconic partly due to its high speed and excellent maneuverability, leading General Resource Limited to manufacture the Connection for Flight Interface-equipped F-22C Raptor II.[19]

Real world[]

ACAH F-22A Homestead 02

An F-22A manned by William Bishop at Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida

The F-22A was developed by the United States in the 1980s to replace the F-15C Eagle in response to the Soviet Union's developments in aviation. The aircraft was conceived from the YF-22 Lightning II, the winner in the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition set out by the US government, over the YF-23 Black Widow II, which would not see further development. The F-22A was unveiled in April 19, 1997, and entered service with the United States Air Force in 2005.[20]

Joint Assault[]

During the attacks by the Golden Axe Plan, Antares Squadron acquired at least one F-22A for use by its members.[21] It is unknown if Antares One himself used an F-22A.[22]

Assault Horizon[]

By early 2015, the United States was testing a new artificial intelligence known as Righteous to replace F-22A pilots. Colonel William Bishop was involved in testing the AI.[23] Later that year, during the New Russian Federation uprising, Colonel Bishop and other USAF pilots in Task Force 108 would pilot their F-22s during the liberation of Moscow[24] as well as countering Andrei Markov's attack on the eastern U.S.[25]

Infinity[]

F-22As saw limited use during Operation Eternal Liberation on both sides of the conflict; Reaper of Bone Arrow Squadron was eventually provided a personal F-22A,[26] and the USEA Federation's Shadow Squadron utilizes multiple F-22A airframes.[27]

Game Analysis[]

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown[]

"A stealth aircraft developed as part of the Advanced Tactical Fighter program. For the sake of stealth, the aircraft carries its weapons internally, but can also carry an external weapons box. Its nickname is "Raptor"."
Hangar description

How to Unlock

Main Game: The F-22A is available on the Aircraft Tree and it costs 920,000 MRP. It requires purchasing either the F-15E Strike Eagle or the F-35C Lightning II.
VR Mode: Complete ten VR missions.

Statistics

AC7 F-22A Statistics

Weapons

  • GUN x2400 ( on Easy/Normal)
  • MSL x136
  • QAAM x18
  • XSDB x48 (110,000 MRP) (VR: Complete 1 mission with the F-22A)
  • 8AAM x80 (110,000 MRP) (VR: Complete 2 missions with the F-22A)
  • FLR x3

Part Slots

BODY: 30
ARMS: 30
MISC: 30

Named Pilots

Skins

  1. Osea:Grey air superiority camouflage based on that used by the United States Air Force
  2. Erusea: Tri-tone blue and grey camouflage (Unlock: Earn the "Silver Wings" medal: Earn an S Rank on all missions on Hard difficulty.)
  3. Special: Two-tone blue camouflage (Unlock: Shoot down TEMPEST)
  4. Mage: Osea skin with Mage Squadron markings.
  5. Spare: Osea skin with Spare Squadron markings.
  6. Strider: Osea skin with Strider Squadron markings.
  7. Mobius: Mobius Squadron scheme (DLC: Purchase via the ADF-11F Raven Set)
  8. Phoenix: Phoenix livery from Air Combat
  9. Gryphus: Gryphus 1 livery
  10. Razgriz: Razgriz Squadron livery (acquire the "Cutting-edge Aircraft Series Set" DLC)
  11. General Resource: F-22C Raptor II livery
  12. Dision: Abyssal Dision's F-22C livery

Gallery

VR Gallery

Ace Combat Infinity[]

"This ultimate stealth fighter is the pride of the U.S. Armed Forces. Aside from flight performance, it has top class acceleration performance and a two-dimensional thrust deflect nozzle which also gives it outstanding maneuverability. Its preemptive strike power, called "first look, first shoot, first kill", is fitting for an aircraft with the name "Raptor", the master of the skies."
Hangar
Lv. Cst Price GUN MSL QAAM 4AAM HPAA SP MO ST AA AG DF
1 750 673,920 343 120 10 B C+ D B+ D E+
2 795 63,180 377 122 14 B+ B D+ B+ D D
3 840 105,300 411 124 16 B+ B D+ A D D
4 885 136,890 445 126 18 34 A B+ C A+ D+ D+
5 930 179,010 480 128 20 38 A+ A C A+ D+ C
6 975 547,560[a] 514 130 22 42 A+ A+ C A+ D+ C+
7 1020 400,140 548 132 24 46 28 S S C+ S D+ B
8 1065 568,620 583 134 26 50 30 S S C+ S D+ A
9 1110 800,280 617 136 27 52 31 S+ S+ C+ S+ C A+
10 1155 1,137,240 652 138 28 54 32 S+ S+ B S+ C S
11 1202 2,274,480 686 142 29 56 33 S+ S+ B S+ C S+
12 1249 2,063,880 720 146 30 58 34 S+ S+ B S+ C S+
13 1296 3,032,640 755 150 31 60 35 S+ S+ B+ S+ C S+
14 1343 4,254,120 789 154 32 62 36 S+ S+ B+ S+ C S+
15 1390 5,180,760 824 158 34 66 38 S++ S+ A S+ C S+
16 1456 7,539,480 856 160 35 68 39 S++ S++ A S+ C+ S++
17 1515 8,634,600 888 162 36 70 40 S++ S++ A S+ C+ S++
18 1574 9,708,660 920 164 37 72 41 S++ S++ A+ S++ C+ S++
19 1633 12,404,340 952 166 38 74 42 S++ S++ A+ S++ B S++
20 1692 15,626,520 984 168 40 78 44 S++ S++ S S++ B S+++
Part Slots
At Lv.1, this aircraft carried 25 BODY, 25 ARMS, and 25 MISC part slots. See Tuning § Slot Expansion for further information.
Nicknames
Upgrading this aircraft to these levels unlocked the respective nicknames for use at any time.
  • Lv.3: Airway Ruler
  • Lv.10: Golden Canopy
  • Lv.15: Apex Predator
  • Lv.20: Raptor's Claws

Named Pilots

Skin Galleries

Description

Standard gray body

Gallery

F-22A Event Skin -01

Description

Gray and green camouflage

Availability

Gallery

F-22A Event Skin 02 - Icon

Description

Blue, light blue, and gray camouflage

Availability

Gallery

F-22A Event Skin -03

Description

Two-tone blue camouflage

Availability

Gallery

F-22A "AC" Skin 01 Icon

Description

White, red, and purple livery from Air Combat

Availability

Gallery

F-22A "AC" Skin 02 Icon

Description

Black, blue, and purple variation of "AC" Skin #01

Availability

Gallery

F-22A Event Skin 04 Icon

Description

Zone of Endless red

Availability

Gallery

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy[]

"A fighter with both stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete mission 21: Kingpin. Costs 172,000 credits.

Statistics

F-22 stats

Weapons

Colors

  • C01: Grey body
  • C02: Digital gray camo
  • C03: Air superiority gray
  • C04: Digital blue camo
  • C05: Silver with teal edges, potentially based on Hatsune Miku. Customizable
  • C06: Digital green camo. Customizable

Named Pilots

Gallery

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon[]

"This ultimate stealth fighter is the pride of the U.S. Armed Forces. Aside from flight performance, it has top class acceleration performance and a two-dimensional thrust deflect nozzle which also gives it outstanding maneuverability. Its preemptive strike power, called "first look, first shoot, first kill," is fitting for an aircraft with the name "Raptor," the master of the skies."
Hangar

How to Unlock

  • Complete campaign mission 11: Launch.

Statistics

  • Speed: Superior
  • Mobility: Superior
  • Stability: Superior
  • Fire Power: Superior
  • Defense: Superior

Weapons

Colors

  • Color 1: Air superiority gray
  • Color 2: Gray and brown desert camouflage
  • Color 3: Tiger stripe camouflage
  • Color 4: Mobius One color
  • Color 5: Antares Squadron livery
  • Color 6: Warwolf
  • Color 7: Flash
  • Color 8: THE IDOLMASTER Haruka
  • Color 9: THE IDOLMASTER Haruka (Monochrome)

Gallery

Ace Combat: Joint Assault[]

The aircraft is referred to in this game as F-22 Raptor.
"A fighter with both stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete mission 20: Ghost Hunt. Costs $332,000.

Statistics

  • Speed: Above Average
  • Air-to-Air: Superior
  • Air-to-Ground: Above Average
  • Mobility: Maximum
  • Stability: Maximum
  • Defense: Medium

Weapons

Colors

  • C01: Air superiority gray.
  • C02: YF-22 livery.
  • C03: Gray and brown desert camouflage.
  • C04: Mobius 1 camouflage.
  • C05: Matte gray.
  • C06: Light blue desert camouflage. Estovakia SP camouflage from Ace Combat 6.

Named Pilots

Gallery

Ace Combat Xi: Skies of Incursion[]

Gallery

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation[]

"The F-22A is a composite of the latest technologies, including the ability to cruise at supersonic speeds. This ultra-powerful 5th generation fighter is aptly titled "Air Dominance Fighter". Commanding powerful thrust and stealth technologies, the F-22A represents the leading edge of aircraft technology. As well as being dispenser munitions capable, high-performance missiles allow it to attack from beyond the range of enemy aircraft. Geared perfectly for aerial combat missions, the F-22A is a powerful preemptive fighter."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete campaign mission 13: The Liberation of Gracemeria.

Statistics

  • Speed: Maximum
  • Air-to-Air: Maximum
  • Air-to-Ground: Medium
  • Stability: Superior
  • Defense: Above Average
  • Mobility: Superior

Weapons

Colors

Named Pilots

  • Lucijan Markovic (Callsign: PEGAS)

Gallery

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception[]

The aircraft is referred to in this game as F-22 Raptor.
F-22 Raptor (Aurelia)
"A fighter with both stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete mission 11B: In Pursuit II. Costs 51,100 credits.

Statistics

ACEX Statistics F-22

Weapons

Colors

Named Pilots

GALLERY

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War[]

The aircraft is referred to in this game as F/A-22A Raptor.
"A fighter with stealth capabilities and thrust vectoring nozzles for superior maneuverability. Designed to relieve much of the pilot's burden, the "Raptor" represents a new standard of air superiority."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete the campaign once with any Ace Style. Costs 181,000 in a New Game Plus.

Statistics

  • Speed: 83
  • Mobility: 88
  • Stability: 82
  • Defense: 66
  • Air-to-Air: 96
  • Air-to-Ground: 59

Weapons

Colors

  • Standard: Air superiority camouflage.
  • Mercenary: Black body.
  • Soldier: Mobius One color.
  • Knight: Desert camouflage.
  • Special: Gray body with white frontal area. Modeled after the original YF-22.

Named Pilots

Gallery

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War[]

The aircraft is referred to in this game as F/A-22A Raptor.
"With a combination of stealth capabilities and superior maneuverability of its thrust vectoring nozzles, the "Raptor" lives up to its name as the ultimate air superiority fighter."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete campaign mission 17: Journey Home or complete Arcade Mode once in any route. Costs 24,000 per aircraft.

Statistics

  • Speed: High
  • Mobility: High
  • Stability: High
  • Defense: Medium
  • Air-to-Air: High
  • Air-to-Ground: Medium

Weapons

Colors

  • OS: Air superiority gray.
  • RZ: Black camouflage
  • SP: Mobius One livery. Unlocked with aircraft if Arcade Mode is completed once.

Named Pilots

Gallery

Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies[]

"An exceptional fighter with superior maneuverability, payload, Stealth, supersonic cruise, and thrust vectoring."
Hangar

How to Unlock

Complete mission 16: Whiskey Corridor. Costs 643,000 credits.

Statistics

  • Speed: High
  • Air-to-Air: High
  • Air-to-Ground: High
  • Mobility: High
  • Stability: High
  • Defense: High

Weapons

Colors

  • Standard: Air superiority gray.
  • Erusea: Dark gray body.
  • Special: Black body. Priced at 836,000 credits.

Named Pilots

Gallery

Trivia[]

Footnotes[]

  1. Players could use one Nonstandard Upgrade Request Form instead of credits for the Lv.6 upgrade.

References[]

  1. Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War - Assault Records #123.
  2. F-22A -Scarface1- description, Ace Combat Infinity.
  3. F-22A -Mobius1-, F-22A -Mobius2-, F-22A -Mobius3-, and F-22A -Mobius4- descriptions, Ace Combat Infinity.
  4. Breaking Arrows. Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies
  5. Sea of Chaos, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War.
  6. Ace Combat 6 Assault Records #13 - Lucijan Markovic.
  7. Invasion of Gracemeria, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
  8. The Moloch Desert, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
  9. The Liberation of Gracemeria, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
  10. Gracemeria Patrol, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
  11. Chandelier, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.
  12. Lighthouse, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
  13. Dark Blue, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown
  14. Mission 15B: "End of Deception II", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  15. Mission 13B: "Armada", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  16. "Scene 5", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  17. "Scene 6", Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception.
  18. Standoff in the Skies II: Leasath Side.
  19. Photosphere, page 6.
  20. F-22A Raptor goes operational. U.S. Air Force. Published December 15, 2005.
  21. F-22A -Antares- description, Ace Combat Infinity.
  22. See Antares One#Trivia for information on Antares One's canon aircraft.
  23. The Last Ace.
  24. Aftermath, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
  25. Home Front, Hurricane, and Akula, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.
  26. F-22A -Reaper-, Ace Combat Infinity.
  27. Any Shadow Squadron appearance, Ace Combat Infinity.
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