US Air Force (USAF) Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Jeffrey "Cobra" Harrigian, Commander, 43rd Fighter Squadron (FS), 325th Fighter Wing (FW), Air Education and Training Command (AETC), Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida (FL), flies Raptor 01-018, the first of 48 new USAF F/A-22 Raptors assigned to Tyndall's 325th FW. The flight, took place September 26, 2003, is a major milestone and will now enable the 43rd FS to begin formally training pilots to fly this next-generation fighter. The F/A-22 combines stealth, supercruise, maneuverability and many other features enabling a first look, first shot, first kill capability that will provide continued air dominance for generations to come

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor is a fifth-generation, single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather stealth tactical fighter aircraft developed for the United States Air Force (USAF). The result of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but also with ground attack, electronic warfare, and signal intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22's airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems. USAF officials consider the F-22 a critical component of the service's tactical air power. Its combination of stealth, aerodynamic performance, and situational awareness enable unprecedented air combat capabilities and originally planned to buy a total of 750 aircrafts, but in 2009, the program was cut to 187 operational production aircraft due to high costs, a lack of clear air-to-air missions due to delays in Russian and Chinese fighter programs, a ban on exports, and development of the more versatile F-35. The last F-22 was delivered in 2012.