The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor first entered service in 2005 and is considered the world's first fifth-generation fighter jet. Twenty years later, the Raptor is still considered to be the world's most advanced air dominance fighter, although ongoing and future updates of the F-35 Lightning II are narrowing the gap.

Whereas most modern fighter jets are built as multirole fighters, the Raptor is specialized as an air dominance fighter. But one of the issues with the Raptor is that the US Air Force wanted to purchase 750 of them, but only purchased 187 examples, of which around 32 are training variants. Here is what to know about how many F-22 Raptors remain today.

No Peer Adversaries

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor program traces back to the US Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program in 1981. At the time, it was feared that Soviet fighter jets and other capabilities were eroding the edge the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon had. The Air Force decided to develop a stealth fighter to replace these aircraft and be an unmatched air dominance fighter. However, in 1991, the Soviet Union fell apart.

In the 1990s, the United States massively cut back on its expensive weapons programs. The McDonnell Douglas A-12 Avenger II (aka Flying Dorito) was one of the first to go and was canceled in 1991. Still, the US Air Force pressed ahead with the Raptor, with the type first flying in 1997. But by then, the US lacked a peer rival, and it was felt that the country did not need an expensive air dominance fighter. That fighter just had no one to fight.

The F-22 soon emerged as the most expensive fighter jet in the world, and the program was nearly canceled before it entered service. However, it did enter service in 2005. The axe finally fell in 2009, when Washington agreed to purchase only 187 Raptors. The final F-22s were delivered in 2011. In 2009, the US was combating insurgencies, something the F-22 is not well suited for. Additionally, Washington was looking for cost savings, and it was still unclear just how fast China would rise and challenge the US militarily.

A Short Production Run

While the F-22 fared better in the post-Cold War world than aircraft like the A-12, which didn't make it into production, it shared the fate of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Both the F-22 and B-2 were cutting-edge stealth aircraft, but also massively expensive. While both entered service, they both had their production runs massively truncated.

The US Air Force had originally intended to purchase 750 F-22s, but in 1990, this number was reduced to 648. The number was further reduced to 442 in 1993 and then down to just 381. By the time it first flew in 1997, the planned procurement had fallen to 339 units. The program was almost cancelled in 1999, but funding was restored, and then in 2003, planned procurement fell yet again to 277.

In 2004, the number fell to only 183 production aircraft. However, in 2008, funding was allocated for 187 F-22s, and that would turn out to be the final figure. In all, 195 F-22 Raptors were built, of which 187 were serial production and eight were for testing and development. A large percentage of the operational Raptors are only for training. These 32 Block 20 Raptors can't be used in combat without significant upgrades. The Air Force has repeatedly asked to retire these Block 20s, but this has been blocked by Congress.

Number Lost To Accidents

As with all fighter jets, the F-22 Raptor is subject to accidents and crashes that have accumulated over the years. Since the first units were handed over to the Air Force, the Aviation Safety Network lists 17 mishaps, with at least five of those being total write-offs for the Raptors. The list also includes two unknowns. Some of the Raptors that suffered accidents have been, or will be, repaired and returned to service. The last known write-off occurred in May 2020 near Eglin Air Force Base.

Of the 187 F-22 Raptors that were handed over to the US Air Force, at least five have been lost, meaning the Air Force has at most 183 airframes remaining. It should be noted that the number actually written off could be higher than five. Of these, some are not operational. In its 2025 review of world air forces, FlightGlobal lists the Air Force as having 178 operational F-22s. As many are early Block 20 versions, the Air Force has around 150 combat-capable Block 30/35 fighters, although not all of these are likely flightworthy.

The reputable publication, The War Zone, stated in March 2025 that the Air Force has just over 180 Raptors in service. It's unclear how many combat-ready F-22s the Air Force has in service, but the number is considerably lower than 180. While the 32 Block 20s are not expected to receive the upgrades discussed below, there is always the chance the Air Force will upgrade them. However, that is expensive, and the Air Force is already struggling to pay for expensive programs like the F-47 and the LGM-35 Sentinel ICBM.

Upgrading the F-22

With the rise of China and the immense cost of developing the sixth-generation F-47 (formerly NGAD) fighter jet, the Air Force appears to plan to rely on the F-22 potentially into the 2040s. To that end, the F-22 fleet is receiving a number of upgrades to keep it at the tip of the air dominance spear until then. They are receiving a new Infrared Defensive System (IRDS), stealth drop tanks, and various other upgrades that will give them the ability to sense, see, and shoot farther.

It may come as a surprise, but until recently, the F-22 didn't have a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD). Reporting in March 2025, The War Zone stated that the fact that the F-22, the world's most capable air-to-air fighter, does not have an HMD has always been a point of contention. It had been planned to get one, but that was cut during development.

More upgrades are likely to follow. In May 2025, Reuters reported President Trump as saying, "I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22, but we're going to do an F-22 Super and it'll be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet." It is unclear what the "F-22 Super" is, but he was likely referring to already touted upgrades for the Raptor.

Outlived by Its Predecessor

The irony for the F-22 is that it was developed to replace the F-15 Eagle. However, the early cancellation of the program forced the Air Force to fall back on the Eagle family and order more updated F-15s. The latest, and possibly final, variant of the F-15 family is the F-15 Eagle II, and the Air Force is procuring around 100 of them. While production of the F-22 ended in 2011, production of its predecessor is set to continue (in low numbers) past 2030.

The Air Force has even sought to retire some of its Raptors (the Block 20s), even as it continues to purchase more F-15s. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber. The Air Force built the supersonic sweep-wing Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bomber to replace it. However, it then developed the stealthy Northrop B-2 Spirit bomber to replace the B-52 and B-1.

Now the Air Force is developing the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider to replace the B-1 Lancer and eventually the B-2 Spirit, but not the B-52. The B-52 is being upgraded and will serve alongside its successor's successor's successor into the 2050s. The sixth-generation Boeing F-47 is being developed, but there are questions about how much it will fully replace the F-15 and F-22. In 2024, the Air Force said it is not a replacement for the F-22.

F-22 Raptor to Remain the Tip-Of-The-Spear

In short, Lockheed Martin built 195 Raptors, and the Air Force received 187 Raptors. At least five have been lost to accidents, meaning the Air Force has up to 183 airframes remaining. Of these, 32 are non-combat Block 20 training variants, giving the Air Force a combat fleet of maybe just under 150 F-22s. Dozens of these may not be flightworthy and may be undergoing extensive repairs or maintenance.

As China rises and is producing ever more of its capable Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation fighter jets and looks to develop and produce more advanced fighter jets, the Air Force is looking to develop its own sixth-generation fighter jet and to keep its F-22 Raptors at the tip of the spear.

The multirole F-35 Lightning II may be the world's most advanced all-around fighter jet, but the F-22 is still considered the best in the air dominance role. However, the Air Force has to work with the fact that it only has around 150 combat-capable Raptors. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has delivered around 1,200 F-35s, including perhaps more than 450 F-35As, to the United States Air Force.