The US Dept of Defense has awarded Lockheed Martin a US$10.86bn (A$14.82bn) contract to sustain and upgrade the US Air Force’s fleet of F-22A Raptor fighters out to 2031.

The contract notification says the Advanced Raptor Enhancement & Sustainment (ARES) contract “provides support for the necessary supplies and services to sustain and modernize the F-22 Raptor, including modernisation hardware kit procurement, and services such as upgrades, enhancements and fixes, as well as performance-based logistics services.

The USAF operates about 182 F-22s, of which about 130 are ‘combat-coded’ jets with frontline fighter squadrons. The aircraft entered service in the early 2002s and achieved an initial operational capability (IOC) in 2006. It is due to be phased out in the 2030s and replaced by as system being developed through the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.