The airmen destined to fly the F-22s out of Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, will first hone their skills flying their AK tail flash emblazoned Raptors with the veteran F-22 crews of the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va. As the new Alaska-bound F-22s roll off the production line in Georgia, they will first go to Langley, where along with PACAF crews they will become part of what USAF has termed “Ready Elmendorf.” Col. Robert Craven, chief of PACAF’s F-22 program integration office, says, “It is an effort to minimize the time for Elmendorf’s squadrons to achieve mission readiness.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
