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 Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.