Air Combat Command chief Gen. Ronald Keys and 1st Fighter Wing’s Brig. Gen. Burton Field plan to announce Thursday at Langley AFB, Va., that the F-22 Raptor is cleared for initial operational capability.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.