Gen. Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command, has formally lifted the flying ban for the F-22 fleet. We reported Monday that implementation of a return-to-flight plan was imminent. Hostage said in a release posted late Monday by ACC, “I’m confident we’ve reached the point to begin a measured and incremental return to flying.” First step is for F-22 instructor pilots and flight leads to regain their “necessary proficiency,” according to the release. The Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board continues to search for a root cause to problems involving the fighter’s onboard oxygen generating system and plans to release a report in October. (See F-22 Coming Back from Monday’s Daily Report and the AFNS release F-22 To Resume Flight Operations.)
Pentagon Cancels $6B GPS Ground System Contract
April 20, 2026
The Pentagon has canceled its contract with RTX to field a ground segment to manage its most capable GPS satellites, a more than 15-year effort beleaguered by software development issues and cost overages.