Engineers are looking to add an F-22 parking pad with apron space for 14 aircraft at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, announced the Army Corps of Engineers. The $10 million to $15 million project includes construction of a 15,000-square-yard concrete pad, aircraft rinse facility, and adjoining tarmac taxiways, according to the pre-solicitation documents. The corps intends to formally issue a request for proposals under a firm-fixed pricing arrangement at the end of the month. Once awarded, the project is scheduled to take roughly a year. F-22s assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 199th Fighter Squadron and active duty associate 19th FS arrived at Pearl Harbor-Hickam some 18 months ago. The units broke ground on a new F-22 maintenance facility on base last July.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…