Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne expressed frustration that, despite the Air Force’s best efforts, 183 F-22A Raptors looks like the limit for now. Wynne told reporters Tuesday that it bothers him that the new fighter isn’t going to be built in the needed numbers when “everyone acknowledges that it’s meeting its goals” and performing magnificently. Wynne suggested that it may take some “external force” to shake things up and get a bigger run for the Raptor. He also noted that it’s worth remembering the Soviet motto: “Quantity has a quality all its own.”
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.