The Hawaii Air National Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron began flying training missions again after the crash of one of its F-15Ds on Feb. 1, reports the Honolulu Advertiser. The Air Guard unit, which is slated to trade its Eagles for the new F-22 Raptor, still has seven of its F-15s on the ground pending further evaluation of the structural problem that led to the Nov. 2 crash of a Missouri ANG F-15C. (See above) The investigation into the Hawaii Air Guard crash is ongoing, but officials said the aircraft did not break apart so they feel confident it did not suffer a structural failure.
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.