The Air Force’s single F-22 Raptor aerial demonstration pilot, Maj. Paul “Max” Moga, so wowed the air show circuit that AirShowBuzz named him the Person of the Year for 2007. The Raptor and Moga, says AirShowBuzz, became a “game changer for the industry. “Without a doubt, the Raptor demo brought even the most experienced pilots to a grinding halt as they watched Moga drive the F-22 through its powerful paces,” says AirShowBuzz.com. Air Combat Command gave formal approval last spring for a single Raptor and pilot to begin public demos.
This year’s Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting buzzed with talk of countering the rapidly evolving drone threat facing the entire U.S. military, including the Air Force. Leaders and defense industry officials discussed the need for new approaches to procurement and employment of a new class of these…