Royal Australian Air Force Flt. Lt. Mark Biele is an F-22 instructor pilot on exchange with the 90th Fighter Squadron at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. He’s only the second Australian exchange pilot to fly the F-22, according to a base release. “The exchange is important to emphasize the level of trust and commitment between our two countries,” said Maj. Christopher Lazidis, 90th FS weapons director. “It demonstrates how deep the partnership between the US and Australia is—not just that we have an Australian F-22 pilot, but an Australian that will train, deploy, and fight fully integrated within our squadron,” he added. Biele converted from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F-22 at Tyndall AFB, Fla., before joining the 90th FS. Biele will likely aid the RAAF in standing up Australia’s F-35 program after his three-year exchange stint wraps up in two years’ time, states the Aug. 9 release. (Elmendorf report by David Bedard)
With key members of Congress wavering on the possibility of a $350 billion defense reconciliation bill, defense experts told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Pentagon is likely drawing up budget backup plans—but such plans would face hard choices between high-end weapons and low-cost drones and other programs in…