Maintainers at Tyndall AFB, Fla., have exceeded the mission capable rate for the F-22 Raptor and met the rate for the F-15 Eagles in their charge. Airmen of the 325th Maintenance Group produced a “remarkable feat,” said Robert Taylor, maintenance analysis chief of the Maintenance Operations Squadron, in reaching an MC rate of 65.4, besting the Raptor goal of 65. And, the group’s F-15 maintainers got the Eagles back “to full speed in minimal time” after the fleet-wide standdown, noted Lt. Col. Warren Benjamin, 325th Operations Group deputy commander. Tyndall serves as USAF’s primary F-22 and F-15 combat training base. (Tyndall report by A1C Veronica McMahon)
Numbers Game Squeezes USAF Fighter Force
Dec. 15, 2025
Congress set the legal floor for how many primary mission aircraft the Air Force had to have in its fighter force in 2018, requiring at least 1,145 fighters through Oct. 1, 2026. In each of the past past two legislative cycles, lawmakers agreed to reduce the number. But when the House passed…
