The F-22A Raptors transiting Hickam AFB, Hawaii, on their return to Langley AFB, Va., from deployment to Okinawa caused a few Honolulu residents to complain that the fighters were too loud, reports the Honolulu Advertiser. The Raptors took off around 3 a.m., using full afterburners because they carried external fuel tanks. A Hickam spokeswoman told the Advertiser, the new fighters took off over the ocean not over land but that low cloud conditions and the full thrust takeoff might have acerbated the noise level. Just last month, the Air Force opened for public comment the environmental assessment for the switchout of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s F-15s for F-22s. According to the Air Guard, they have worked a method to minimize the extra noise factor.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
