The F-22 Raptor Facts: 30 Things to Know

The F-22’s Ferry Range is Nearly 2,000 Miles

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, Hawaii - A Hickam F-22 Raptor prepares to refuel over the Pacific Ocean on its way to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam from a Hickam KC-135 Stratotanker assigned to the 199th Air Refueling Squadron, July 2. The 199th Fighter Squadron of the Hawaii Air National Guard is transitioning from the F-16 and will serve as the only Air National Guard led joint Guard and Active Duty squadron in the Pacific and the second in the U.S. Air Force.

The F-22 is built for speed and stealth, but how does it stack up in regards to flight range? The US Air Force lists the ferry range just shy of 2,000 miles. While that won’t take it from the US to the Middle East without refuel, that’s still a pretty impressive range for a jet supercruising through the sky. The US has several options to keep its Air Force fleets fueled up without ever having to touch the ground. It may surprise you that these tactics have been around since the 1950s. KC-135 tankers carry up to 200,000 pounds of transferrable fuel and connect with jets in flight to gas them up on the go. They reach altitudes of up to 50,000 and speeds of over 500 mph, so the jets they service can continue their mission, essentially uninterrupted.