Re: "Advanced Tactical Fighter to F-22 Raptor" book
The highest supercruise of the YF-23 with the P&W engines was Mach 1.8 and with the GE engines was Mach 2.2+. In fact, with the GE engines, it was said that the YF-23 was the fastest tactical fighter ever built which tells me it was probably M=2.8+ and possibly near M=3. It's a known fact that in a drag race the YF-23 would leave the YF-22 in the dust.
In fact, it was the YF-22 that had a supercruise speed of M=1.4 with the P&W engines and required AB just to go supersonic with those engines, whereas the YF-23 didn't have any problems going supersonic in dry thrust with the P&W engines.
It was also reported, but I can't confirm, but in one of those "zoom" climb tests at Edwards where the pilots do a "tower run" at max speed (For alt) and then go into a vertical climb that the GE powered YF-23 went straight up to 100,000 ft, but I can't confrim that. In the same run, the production F-22 could reportedly go straight up to 60,000 ft in the same maneuver with a full weapons load and fuel, which is quite remarkable.
I'd be willing to bet a standard production F-22 in operational condition could break the time-to-climb records by at least half, but I'm sure the USAF doesn't want to give out too much info on it's actual performance by doing that.
