In training at Tyndall AFB, Fla., F-22As routinely take on six F-15s at once in mock dogfights—and the contest is still not even close, say Raptor pilots. Lt. Col. David Krumm, an F-22A instructor, told the Associated Press news service, that F-15 Eagle pilots are “the world’s best pilots.” So, he added, “It’s a startling moment for them to come down here and get waylaid.” The empathy is no doubt real, since current F-22 pilots flew F-15 and F-15E aircraft in their pre-Raptor days.
President Donald Trump wants his signature Golden Dome missile defense program to be up and running before the end of his term and has tapped Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael A. Guetlein to lead the project.