F-22 finally goes into combat

• The F-22 flew its first combat mission against ISIS


• The government estimates that each plane costs $412 million


• The fighter jet has been plagued by mechanical problems and cost overruns

Washington (CNN) -- The problem-plagued F-22 Raptor took part in its first combat mission Monday night, hitting ISIS targets in Syria. The price tag for those jets, which were in development for decades, is a staggering $412 million each -- triple its expected cost, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Originally designed and built to replace other fighter and ground attack aircraft in the U.S. military's arsenal, the radar-evading F-22 is an evolutionary dead end. The Air Force acquired only 188 of them from aerospace maker Lockheed and doesn't plan to have any more produced.

Even though they formally came into service in 2005, the F-22 had been grounded repeatedly because of what were indeterminate causes that resulted in pilots losing consciousness in the air.

Obama: Syria strikes show 'this is not America's fight alone'

The U.S. military launched 14 airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria early Tuesday using a variety of assets. F/A-18 jets and other aircraft were launched from the 103,600-ton aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, shown here as it transits the Strait of Hormuz on April 28, 2014.

The guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, operating in international waters in the North Arabian Gulf, launched some of the 47 Tomahawk cruise missiles used against ISIS targets. The ship has a displacement of 9,589 tons and carries a crew of 370.

In this handout released by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), foreground, pulls into formation with the French Marine Nationale anti-submarine frigate Jean de Vienne (D 643) during exercise Proud Manta 2013 in the Ionian Sea on February 26, 2013.

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors saw their first combat during the strikes on ISIS, the Pentagon said. The single-seat, twin engine stealth fighter has a top speed of almost 1,500 mph. Here, a Raptor performs during the Australian International Airshow in Melbourne on March 1, 2013.

EA-6B Prowlers launched from the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush during Tuesday's attack on ISIS. The Prowler is used to support attack aircraft by jamming enemy radar and communications and obtaining tactical intelligence. Here, a Prowler flies in formation with an E-2C Hawkeye on June 29, 2004, over Scotland.

The workhorses of the American fighter fleet, F-16s, struck ISIS targets in Syria in the second and third wave of attacks. Two U.S.-made F-16 fighters are seen here over Hualien Air Base in Taiwan on January 23, 2013. F-16s can travel 1,500 mph, or Mach 2, at altitude.

The United States fired 47 Tomahawk missiles in Syria in the first wave of attacks, eight of them against Khorasan targets. Tomahawks are long-range subsonic cruise missiles used to take out high value or heavily defended land targets. They were first used in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), seen here, launches a Tomahawk cruise missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn in 2011, from the Mediterranean Sea..

The guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke, operating in the Red Sea, launched Tomahawk cruise missiles against ISIS targets in the first of three waves of attacks. The ship has a displacement of 8,373 tons and carries a crew of 370. It is part of the U.S. 5th Fleet.

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

Military assets used against ISIS and Khorasan in Syria

The Air Force is confident it solved the problem, but some top pilots still refused to fly the plane, citing safety concerns.

Today, the Air Force has 187 of the fighters after one crashed in 2010, killing the pilot. A subsequent report by the Pentagon watchdog found the Air Force initially blamed the crash on pilot error when in fact a mechanical error was at fault.

The F-22 has also been accused of causing a mysterious illness in mechanics charged with maintaining it.

In 2012: More problems for F-22

Last year, the Air Force lifted all flight restrictions on the F-22, saying the plane is now safe to fly.

The military's other prized fighter program, the F-35 fighter-bomber, has faced similar questions about massive cost overruns and mechanical problems.