Air Force officials turned up at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Ga., last week to cast their eyes on the tail section—with the Alaska tail code—of the first F-22 Raptor bound for Pacific Air Forces. This Raptor will join 35 others destined for Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, beginning next year. Elmendorf will establish two active-duty F-22 squadrons and one Air Force Reserve Command associate squadron.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.