Lockheed F-22 Raptor

The F-22 Raptor was conceived as an air-dominance aircraft for a post-Cold War world that still demanded overwhelming fighter performance. It combined stealth, supercruise, thrust-vectoring manoeuvrability and advanced sensors into a platform intended to control the air before an opponent could effectively respond.

Its production run was relatively small, which has only added to its reputation. The F-22 represents an era when air-superiority design was pushed to a high technological extreme, and it remains a benchmark for what a dedicated fifth-generation fighter can be.