The Air Force can get seven combat-coded F-22 squadrons out of 183 aircraft, Gen. Michael Moseley, USAF Chief of Staff, told reporters. That is not enough to cover all 10 Air and Space Expeditionary Forces. However, Wynne explained that some of the later-vintage F-15Es and F-16s would still be around to fill out the 10 AEFs. The later F-15s have some “phenomenal” capabilities that will allow them to “partner” with the Raptors, Wynne said. Moseley added that J-UCAS—the joint unmanned combat aerial vehicle—is coming along, as are even more advanced combat UAVs.
The advanced F-47 sixth-generation fighter remains on track to fly in the next two years, the senior Air Force acquisition officer overseeing the program said Feb. 25, as the service continues on its ambitious schedule to debut the air superiority-focused fighter by 2028—only three years after the contract was awarded…
