F-22A Is Ready for Combat: During a formal presentation to herald initial operational capability for the new F-22A Raptor, Gen. Ronald Keys said, “If we go to war tomorrow, the Raptor will go with us.” The Air Combat Command chief plans to send 12 Raptors—the current number for a combat deployable package—to Alaska in June to participate in Northern Edge as the command continues to develop tactics and “growing and training” the first F-22 operational unit, the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Va.
The design of the launch facilities for the Air Force’s new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile are likely to undergo major revision, posing yet another challenge for the much-delayed and over-budget program to modernize the land-based component of America’s nuclear triad, officials said.