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The joint contractor and US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter team received the Robert J. Collier Trophy in ceremonies in Washington, DC, on 8 June. The Raptor was specifically cited for its performance in the 2006 Northern Edge military exercise. During this large-scale exercise, Raptor pilots flew ninety-seven percent of their scheduled missions, achieved an eighty-to-one kill ratio against the Red Air opponents, scored direct hits with 100 percent of their satellite-guided 1,000-pound GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions, and increased overall situational awareness for the entire Blue Force through the F-22's integrated avionics.
This award marks the sixteenth time Lockheed Martin or its aircraft have been honored with the Collier Trophy.
The company won the award first in 1932 for the Martin B-10, the first all-metal bomber. Other legacy Lockheed Martin aircraft that have earned Collier recognition include the XC-35, the world's first pressurized aircraft; the F-104 Starfighter, the world's first Mach 2 fighter; the Lockheed A-11 (A-12) "Blackbird" triple-sonic reconnaissance aircraft; the F-16 Fighting Falcon, for innovative fighter effectiveness; the F-117 Nighthawk, the world's first operational stealth fighter; and the U-2S Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Lockheed Martin was also a key member of the integrated lift fan propulsion system validated on the X-35B, the Joint Strike Fighter demonstrator aircraft.
The award, which is given annually by the National Aeronautic Association, is regarded as the most prestigious award in American aviation. It was established in 1911 and is presented each year "for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America during the previous calendar year."
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