How much fuel does the F-22 Raptor really carry? The numbers explained

The F-22 Raptor carries 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) of fuel internally — keeping the entire supply sealed deep within its airframe to help preserve the fighter's near-zero radar signature during combat missions.

The internal fuel tanks are located in the aircraft's fuselage and wings, distributing weight carefully across the airframe to maintain balance during high-G manoeuvres and supersonic flight.

In its fully loaded internal configuration, the F-22 carries 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) of fuel, enabling sustained supersonic cruise — up to Mach 1.8 without afterburners.

On internal fuel alone, the F-22 has a combat radius of over 500 miles (800 kilometers) — enough to strike deep into contested airspace and return without refuelling.

The F-22 has four under-wing hardpoints, each capable of carrying a 600-gallon external fuel tank, used specifically for ferry flights when extra range is needed and no weapons are carried externally.

With 18,000 lb of internal fuel plus two external tanks, the jet's ferry range extends to over 1,600 nautical miles (2,960 km) — but external tanks compromise the very stealth the F-22 is built around.