Tyndall AFB, Fla., is spearheading training in the integration of F-22A fighter tactics with command and control platforms. Air battle managers are training at Tyndall to send free text messages to Raptor pilots using Link-16, a high-speed digital data-link that minimizes the amount of time on the radio, allowing the pilot to destroy all his targets and get home safely without being seen or heard. “Once you get the information, you have it, and then all you have to do inside your jet is get that information to the weapon,” said Maj. Clayton Bartels, 43rd Fighter Squadron F-22 instructor pilot.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.