Air Force HH-60 rescue helicopters and an HC-130 rescue tanker are combing an area northeast of Cantwell, Alaska, for a missing F-22 pilot whose aircraft lost contact with air traffic control Tuesday evening during a training mission from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. That area is the last known location of the aircraft, stated Elmendorf officials in a release issued around 1:30 p.m. East Coast time on Wednesday. “Right now, our top priority is to try to bring the pilot home safely,” said Col. Jack McMullen, commander of Elmendorf’s 3rd Wing. He added, “We will continue to search until we find our pilot. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this missing airman.” Per Defense Department policy, the Air Force is withholding the pilot’s name until his condition is known.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.