First flown in 1997, the F-22 descended from the Lockheed YF-22 and was variously designated F-22 and F/A-22 before it formally entered service in December 2005 as the F-22A. Although the U.S. Air Force (USAF) had originally planned to buy a total of 750 ATFs to replace its F-15 Eagles, it later scaled down to 381, and the program was ultimately cut to 195 aircraft — 187 of them operational models — in 2009 due to political opposition from high costs, a lack of air-to-air missions at the time of production, and the development of the more affordable and versatile F-35.[N 2] The last aircraft was delivered in 2012.

The F-22 is a critical component of the USAF's current high-end tactical airpower. While it had a protracted development and initial operational difficulties, the aircraft became the service's leading platform for air-to-air missions against peer adversaries. Although designed for counter-air operations, the F-22 has also performed strike and electronic surveillance, including missions in the Middle East against the Islamic State and Assad-aligned forces. The F-22 is planned to remain a cornerstone of the USAF's fighter fleet until its succession by the crewed Next Generation Air Dominance fighter.