The Air Force began studying concepts in the early 1970s for an aircraft to eventually replace its F-15 air superiority fighter. This work became a formal program when the service requested proposals for an Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) in October 1985.

Air and ground threats that the F-15 will no longer be able to counter will be defeated by the lethal and survivable F-22, with its balance of increased speed and range, enhanced offensive and defensive avionics, and reduced observability. The F-22's design also emphasizes reliability and maintainability of systems.

The F-22 will be capable of flying and fighting against the most advanced integrated radar networks and dense surface-to-air missile environments in the world — now and in the future. A new generation of fighters is under development in several countries around the world today as well in the former Soviet Union.