Air Force security forces deployed to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, have formed the Fly-Away Security Team to provide specially trained airmen to fly with and protect the aircrews and C-130 tactical cargo aircraft that fly into remote airfields in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region. Once a C-130 lands, the FAST airmen are first off, setting up around the aircraft to watch the surrounding country as the aircrew unloads the aircraft. In flight, FAST airmen provide “cockpit denial” when the aircraft hauls foreign nationals or prisoners.
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.