Despite the extended stand-down of its key air defense fighter, the F-15 Eagle, Air Forces Northern conducted 150 fighter sorties over North America in December. Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command fighters flew the majority of sorties, and Air Guard and Reserve tankers covered all 50 air refueling sorties for the month. Since 9/11, Operation Noble Eagle aircraft have flown more than 181,000 flying hours. (See Data Points.)
Raytheon, a division of defense giant RTX, recently announced a multiyear deal with the Pentagon to increase annual production of the Air Force’s primary dogfighting missile by more than 50 percent from two years ago.
