Two, not four, F-22s are participating Monday and Tuesday in Invincible Spirit, a combined US-South Korean air and maritime readiness exercise in the Korean theater. “The participation of these fifth generation fighters underscores the US commitment to the alliance, which is fully capable of responding to and defeating any aggression,” Lt. Col. Donald Langley, Pacific Air Forces’ deputy director of public affairs, tells the Daily Report. When US officials first announced the participation of the F-22s last week, they spoke of four Raptors, but Langley confirmed that the correct number is two. These Raptors are from the 7th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron currently deployed to Kadena AB, Japan, from Holloman AFB, N.M. Langley also confirmed that this will be the first time ever that F-22s have flown training missions in and around Korea.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.