Lockheed Martin delivered the 100th F-22A Raptor to the Air Force on Aug. 29 in a ceremony at its Marietta, Ga., production facility. This particular bird goes to the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. The active duty wing will own the aircraft, but it will share operations and maintenance with Air Force Reserve Command’s 477th Fighter Group.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
