Two F-22 Raptors recently returned to JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, after receiving the Increment 3.1 hardware and computer upgrade in depot at Hill AFB, Utah. Elmendorf’s F-22s were the first combat-coded Raptors in the fleet to start receiving this upgrade; the base is home to more than 40 Raptors. “Increment 3.1 gives the F-22 the ability to precisely locate, engage, and target emerging ground threats,” said Lt. Col. David Piffarerio, commander of Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Fighter Squadron, in an Oct. 11 base release. Before the upgrade, Raptors had to rely on outside targeting information to drop guided air-to-ground weapons. With the new performance enhancements, Elmendorf F-22s earlier this year pioneered autonomous operational employment of both joint direct attack munitions and small diameter bombs. The Increment 3.1 modifications are installed in depot instead of at Elmendorf to allow the base’s maintainers to focus on keeping operational jets airborne, according to the release. (Elmendorf report by Capt. Ashley Connor)
US Has Struck Over 1,000 Houthi Targets in Renewed Campaign
April 30, 2025
U.S. forces have struck more than 1,000 Houthi targets in Yemen since March 15, U.S. officials said, as the Trump administration’s military campaign against the militants reached the 45-day mark. Dubbed Operation Rough Rider, the campaign has drawn on U.S. Navy and Air Force warplanes and drones. The campaign shows…