<hi style=afpcap>Powerplant for the twin-engine F-22 is the Pratt & Whitney YF119 with a thrust rating of more than 30,000 lb. The F-22 emerged from the free-spending Reagan years (1981-89) when the Air Force saw a need for an F-15 replacement to operate in the European theater. In 1984, the USAF formalized a requirement for a fighter capable of supersonic flight without afterburning, with a greater range than the F-15, and with vectoring and reversing engine nozzles for STOL (short takeoff/landing) performance. Successful testing of two YF-22 prototypes will lead to a first flight of the engineering and development F-22 fighter in 1997.</hi>
