Posted on 04/01/2012 8:30:26 PM PDT by U-238
The Air Force and Lockheed Martin have a plan to make the most of the F-22 fleet. As always, money will be an issue. By the end of next month, the last F-22 Raptor built—tail No. 4195—should complete final checkout tests, take off from Lockheed Martin’s plant at Marietta, Ga., and fly to its new home at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Lt. Col. Paul D. Moga, once Air Combat Command’s F-22 demonstration pilot, and now commander of the 525th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf, will fly it there.
As that last delivery flight takes place, the Air Force will confront a long list of challenges with its fully deployed F-22 fleet. Contentious basing issues seem to have been ironed out, but the F-22 modernization and upgrade budget has been halved, compelling the service to be far more selective about Raptor improvements.
(Excerpt) Read more at airforce-magazine.com ...
When the Chicoms are just outside of Boise we’ll discover that we needed more F-22s.
Whether we have 200 or 2,000, they are no good if grounded.....and they often are.
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