Gen. Tom Hobbins, head of US Air Forces in Europe, and an Air Force cohort are in central Russia, where they will receive facility tours and see various Russian aircraft, reports the Russian news service RIA Novosti. Hobbins plans to meet with Russian Air Force officials during the four-day visit and may get to fly on a Su-27 Flanker or MiG-29 Fulcrum.
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.