F-22A Raptors from Langley AFB, Va., have made the 3,200-mile trip to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, to take part in the exercise called Northern Edge. It was the first trip for the new stealth fighters outside the continental US. “This is the longest continuous trip we’ve flown in this bird, so that gives us a great start to this entire visit,” said Lt. Col. Wade Tolliver, commander of the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley, the first operational Raptor unit. Elmendorf is slated to follow as the second operational home for a Raptor unit.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.