The F-22A force at Tyndall AFB, Fla., the schoolhouse for Raptor pilots, has exceeded 5,000 flying hours in the new stealth fighter. The Tyndall force reached 5K on Sept. 20, according to an Oct. 13 Air Education and Training Command news release. Tyndall is the second base to achieve 5,000 hours, following the primary test site at Edwards AFB, Calif. Tyndall’s 43rd Fighter Squadron so far has trained 74 F-22 pilots.
The Air Force’s BACN may be cooked—the service plans to retire its entire E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node fleet in fiscal 2028 and equip aircraft to use satellite communications instead.