House Appropriators included a provision in its 2008 defense spending bill (see above) that would prohibit foreign sales of the Air Force’s new F-22A Raptor, reports The Asahi Shimbun. Japan had expressed interest in buying the new stealth fighter. Last year, lawmakers removed a green light for foreign sales that had been included in the 2007 defense spending bill.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
