The Pentagon has finally confirmed that photos circulating on the Web of the F-22 intercept of Russian Bear bombers last fall are indeed photos of the event. NORAD launched two F-22A Raptors from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, on Nov. 22, 2007, to identify and monitor the two bombers flying off the coast of Alaska. It would be almost a month later before the Alaskan NORAD Region even confirmed the scramble, a first for the new Raptor unit at Elmendorf. The photos were taken by the F-22 pilots, confirmed a DOD spokesman last week in response to query. They have not been officially released, which makes one wonder: Why would DOD approve release of photos (here’s one) of Navy fighters on Feb. 9 intercepting a Russian Bear over a carrier

The Pentagon just released to us two photos from the Nov. 22, 2007, intercept of two Russian Tu-95 Bear-H bombers by two F-22A Raptors from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. These are from different angles than the two we posted above, which have made the rounds of various Web sites. Alaskan NORAD Region scrambled the two F-22s to monitor the flights of the Bears off the coast of Alaska. It was the first operational use of Elmendorf’s fledgling Raptor unit. The photos were taken by the F-22 pilots, as confirmed last week by a DOD spokesman in response to query.

In a first deployment for the F-22 Raptor team at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, a team of 132 active and Air Force Reserve Command airmen worked together during a two-week Combat Archer live-fire exercise at Tyndall AFB, Fla., checking off a "successful" enterprise that puts the Alaska team "one step closer to initial operational capability," said Maj. David Piffarerio, exercise project officer. Piffarerio, who is a pilot with AFRC's 302nd Fighter Squadron activated just last fall, noted that 14 out of 16 missiles fired during the exercise met weapons system evaluation program "hit criteria and passed with the lethal radius or hit the [target] drone." Capt. Megan Rogers, deployed maintenance commander from the active 3rd Wing, said, "I have to look at the patches to tell who is from the [Reserve] 477th Fighter Group and who is from the 3rd Wing." With the 477th FG serving in a classic associate role, sharing operations and maintenance duties on the Raptors, the captain said, the Reservists "will bring experience to our mission … [and] provide continuity." (Elmendorf report by Capt. Torri White)

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