Speaking with reporters at Langley AFB, Va., Gen. Ronald Keys, head of Air Combat Command, acknowledged that he has to be realistic about the number of F-22A Raptors he will get. “I’ve always said I need 381,” asserted Keys. However, the approved number now is just 183, so he says, “If that’s all I get, that’s all I get.” Above all, said Keys, the Air Force doesn’t want to have a lapse where there would not be a fifth generation fighter in production, and if that happens to be the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, then so be it. “I’m not inclined to buy F-22s over JSFs, because JSF is “A” working and “B” it’s coming online,” Keys said. “I need more new airplanes.” Asked about a suggestion made last month to up the number of Raptors by 20, Keys said it would be nice but he hasn’t heard any support from Congress on the matter.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
