F-22A Raptors from Langley AFB, Va., have made the 3,200-mile trip to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, to take part in the exercise called Northern Edge. It was the first trip for the new stealth fighters outside the continental US. “This is the longest continuous trip we’ve flown in this bird, so that gives us a great start to this entire visit,” said Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, commander of the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley, the first operational Raptor unit. Elmendorf is slated to follow as the second operational home for a Raptor unit.
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.