F-22A Is Ready for Combat: During a formal presentation to herald initial operational capability for the new F-22A Raptor, Gen. Ronald Keys said, “If we go to war tomorrow, the Raptor will go with us.” The Air Combat Command chief plans to send 12 Raptors—the current number for a combat deployable package—to Alaska in June to participate in Northern Edge as the command continues to develop tactics and “growing and training” the first F-22 operational unit, the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Va.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…