The Air Force has identified the pilot of the F-22 that crashed Tuesday about 100 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska. He is Capt. Jeffrey Haney, a member of the 525th Fighter Squadron at JB Elmendorf, Alaska. Haney’s current status is missing. USAF officials notified Haney’s family on Tuesday evening, according to an Elmendorf release. “This is a very uncertain and difficult time for the family,” said Col. Jack McMullen, commander of Elmendorf’s 3rd Wing. He added, “We ask that the public continue to work with us to respect their privacy and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.” Before the Air Force released Haney’s name to the public, some press reports had already identified him, citing a family member back in Michigan (see below). Search and rescue teams discovered the F-22 wreckage in a remote area of rugged terrain on Wednesday. Rescue teams continue to search the area for Haney. As of late Thursday, it was uncertain whether Hanley’s ejection seat was at the crash site or in another area.
The defense intelligence community has tried three times in the past decade to build a “common intelligence picture”—a single data stream providing the information that commanders need to make decisions about the battlefield. The first two attempts failed. But officials say things are different today.