Pratt & Whitney announced Nov. 23 that it has delivered the 400th F119 engine to the Air Force for the F-22 stealth fighter force. In a company release Nov. 23, Tyler Evans, Pratt’s F119 program director, said this delivery is “tangible proof of the maturity of this fifth-generation engine.” F119s have already accumulated more than 125,000 operational flight hours, he said. Two F119 engines power each F-22. Pratt is using the production and flight experience gleaned from the F119 as it matures the more powerful F135, a powerplant for the F-35 stealth fighter, that uses the F119’s core.
Airmen and Guardians in the Active and Reserve component, as well as civilian employees, in “mission critical and high-risk populations” are now required to receive influenza vaccinations annually to “preserve force readiness,” according to a recent Department of the Air Force memo.