Stealth fighter the world's first to be classified as a successor of air superiority fighter F-15C / D of the U.S. Air Force, was developed on the basis of planning tactical fighter aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin, the fighter jet the fifth generation. Mounted in the fuselage, such as stealth characteristics and by the missiles and bombs, and a capacity (Super Cruise) cruise speed of sound in the military thrust.

Is classified as tactical fighter versatile like fighter-bomber F-15E operated by the Air Force said, on-board capability of armament ground is limited, or neutralize with anti-aircraft effectively taking advantage of the stealth characteristics , was shaken by utilizing the ability to more side air combat capability, it can be said and to ensure air superiority aircraft.

Development is carried out under the Cold War, U.S. Air Force estimates that eventually was scheduled to deploy in the procurement of 750 aircraft since 1996. However, with the end of the Cold War and the delay of the development, deployment will start in 2003 for conversion training models, that started the operational combat troops was in December 2005. Number of aircraft equipped with the final 187 aircraft (the number of total manufacturing, including the number of YF-22 prototype. Machine after testing machine equipped with a machine, including a production readiness testing machine is a machine 197 EMD) , and development costs by reducing the number of rising and production, the cost per machine has reached a $ 100 million to about 50 million