The F-22 Raptor continues to lend its unique capabilities to the fight against ISIS, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said April 22 during a Washington D.C. defense symposium. “It’s being used when it’s appropriate for it to be used,” he said, especially when air commanders in the region decide they “need th?at particular platform.” The Raptor is called upon when the “scenarios and targets” call for its unique capabilities, he added. The F-22 has been lauded by senior USAF officials for its ability to coordinate and improve the combat effectiveness of strike packages in Operation Inherent Resolve. After its combat debut in the opening waves of the Syria campaign last September, the F-22 has continued to prove its utility in the air campaign, Air Combat Command’s Gen. Hawk Carlisle said this past February. In addition to its ability to fly into defended airspace, its capabilities as a combat escort, its air tasking capabilities, and its significant sensor and dynamic targeting tools have exceeded expectations in the air campaign against ISIS, Carlisle noted previously.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.