The Hawaii Air National Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam has completed its final F-15 training mission. The unit is transitioning to F-22s, the first two of which arrived in July. “It’s like saying goodbye to a good friend,” said Lt. Col. James Sage, a 199th FS pilot who last week flew in the final training mission. He added, “It was exciting flying it for the last time, and especially against an F-22, but at the same time, the F-15 has always brought me home safely and [it has] been an outstanding aircraft.” The ANG unit will operate 20 Raptors. “The 199th [FS] proves that National Guard forces are capable of maintaining a strategic presence with its active duty association and providing a great value to our nation,” said Gen. Craig McKinley, National Guard Bureau chief. (Pearl Harbor-Hickam report by TSgt. Cohen A. Young)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
