The Air Force's preferred alternatives for the third and fourth operational F-22A beddowns are Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and Hickam AFB, Hawaii, said Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, today .
The F-22 Raptor's unequaled capabilities bring some unique challenges to Air Force maintainers at Hill AFB, Utah. Not the least of which is gearing up a support machine to handle the maintenance workload when the first Raptors arrive for modifications in April.
The Air Force Chief of Staff nominated the F-22 Combined Test Force here for the National Aeronautic Association's 2005 Robert J. Collier Trophy.
Lockheed recently awarded a contract worth up to $17.2 million to supply LAU-142/A launchers for the next 24 F-22 Raptor fighter jets.
The F-22A Raptor completed its first operational missions this past weekend while flying sorties in support of Operation Noble Eagle. F-22s from the 27th FS flew Combat Air Patrols over the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
Follow-On Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor was officially completed with the U.S. Air Force announcement late last week rating the world's only 5th Generation stealth fighter in operation "Mission Capable," one of the highest ratings achievable.
The U.S. Air Force officially announced that the F-22A raptor is ready to conduct air to ground missions today. While the F-22 may have moved it's "A" from the front to the back of its designation, it has kept all of its attack capabilities, adding value to an already impressive aircraft.
The 1st Fighter Wing held a ceremony on January 13th at Langley AFB to celebrate the F-22A Raptor's initial operational capability. The event comes after the 27th Fighter Squadron was officially declared IOC on Dec. 15 by Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command.
With the F-22A's initial operational capability declaration Dec. 15 came the capstone of a process that began 76 months earlier, in August 1997, when a C-5 Galaxy landed at Edwards AFB and taxied down the expansive "Contractor's Row" with several crates and boxes in its cargo bay for what is now known as the F-22A Combined Test Force.
The F-22A Raptor - Air Force's most advanced weapon system - is ready for combat, Air Force officials announced at Langley AFB today. In reaching initial operational capability, the Raptor is certified ready for operational use.
According to published reports, the US Air Force may freeze development of upgrades to the F-22 Raptor to afford more of the new fighter jets.
Pratt & Whitney has delivered the 200th F119 engine, the world's most advanced engine currently in production. To date, 56 F/A-22 Raptors have been delivered to the United States Air Force, each powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119 engines.
The U.S. Air Force plans to change the designation of the F/A-22 Raptor to "F-22A" in the near future according to an article on DefenseNews.com.
The F/A-22 Raptor, traveling faster than the speed of sound, dropped a 1,000-pound guided Joint Directed Attack Munition over the Edwards range Dec. 1.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $2.9 billion fixed-price contract by the U.S. Air Force for continued production of F/A-22 aircraft through November 2007.
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