Air Combat Command has declared full operational capability for the F-22A force at Langley AFB, Va. ACC boss Gen. John Corley said Thursday that “years of collaborative effort” had culminated in the “key milestone” FOC. He determined that the integrated active duty 1st Fighter Wing and Air National Guard 192nd FW at Langley, have “sufficient Raptors, equipment, and trained airmen” to sustain FOC “for many years to come.” The two units jointly fly and maintain 40 fighters, which are assigned to the 1st FW’s 27th Fighter Squadron and 94th FS. Between the active and Air Guard units, there are 80 trained Raptor pilots.
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.