Air Combat Command boss Gen. John Corley last week sent a letter to ACC airmen, specifically the pilots and maintainers of the F-15s now under a grounding order, and to the F-15 community in general to outline the current predicament with the F-15 fleet. As we reported earlier, the extended stand-down will play havoc with the proficiency of F-15 pilots. Corley urges them to “trust that your leadership is keeping a watchful eye and will be poised to execute a plan that will put all of you back in the air as fast as safely possible.” Corley also writes that the actions of the F-15 maintenance force “over the years to maintain these F-15s are second to none.” He urges each maintainer “to keep [his or her] eye on the task at hand” and to work through the “long and methodical” inspections needed for each aircraft.
The advanced F-47 sixth-generation fighter remains on track to fly in the next two years, the senior Air Force acquisition officer overseeing the program said Feb. 25, as the service continues on its ambitious schedule to debut the air superiority-focused fighter by 2028—only three years after the contract was awarded…
