Reservists with the 477th Fighter Group at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, resumed F-22 flight operations after a standdown that lasted more than four months. They made their first flights together on Oct. 15 during the group’s monthly training weekend, which was the first time all of the group’s pilots and maintainers were able to train together since Air Combat Command lifted the F-22 grounding on Sept. 19. “The grounding period has been a difficult time for both man and machine. I salute each of you who managed to keep both your mission focus and your skill at high levels that enabled such a seamless return to [flight],” said Col. Bryan Radliff, 477th FG commander. The Air Force’s F-22 fleet was grounded in May 3 due to concerns over some pilots exhibiting systems akin to an insufficient oxygen supply in flight. (Elmendorf-Richardson report by Capt. Ashley Conner)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
