Members of the Air Force’s newest stealth force—those now or soon-to-be operating and maintaining the F-22 Raptor—gathered at Whiteman AFB, Mo., earlier this week to consult with their stealth brethren of the B-2 bomber world. At the B-2 and F-22 Integration Conference, airmen from Eglin AFB, Fla., Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, Holloman AFB, N.M., Langley AFB, Va., Nellis AFB, Nev., and Whiteman gathered to discuss how best to integrate the two stealth aircraft. Col. Thomas Bussiere, leader of the 509th Operations Group at Whiteman, said: The way of the future is low observable. And, there are no two greater platforms on the planet than the F-22 and B-2, so now is the time for us to refine our operational tactics and be ready when the phone rings to execute.” Col. James Hecker, 3rd OG boss at Elmendorf, agreed, adding that “We are also getting some insider help as far as maintenance. … We are getting lessons learned on problems that we thought were new to us [F-22 force], which just so happens to be things you [B-2 force] have been dealing with for a while.” (Whiteman report by A1C Stephen Linch)
Gas is king in the vast expanse of the Pacific. And as the Pentagon has sought to build up its capability to deter China, the Department of Defense has undergone a major rethink about how to get fuel to the region. At the heart of the effort is the U.S. Transportation…