In response to current threat assessments, USAF is accelerating portions of its Increment 3.2 upgrade program for the F-22 fleet, senior service officials said Wednesday. “Increment 3.2 Accelerated” will be software-only enhancements that provide “significant additional electronic protection, Link 16 improvements, and a better combat identification capability,” wrote David Van Buren, USAF’s acting acquisition czar, and Lt. Gen. Phillip Breedlove, Air Staff point man for air, space, and information operations, plans, and requirements, in written testimony to the House Armed Services airland panel. Development of these new features should be completed in Fiscal 2013. At a later point, F-22s will receive the full Increment 3.2 upgrade, which includes even greater connectivity and self-protection as well as targeting improvements and the ability to employ the AIM-120D and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles. This increment will follow the Increment 3.1 modifications that the service intends to start fielding next fiscal year. (Van Buren-Breedlove prepared remarks)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.