Photo Essay: F-22s At Langley Reach Full Operational Status
F-22 Raptors here reached full operational capability Dec. 12, said Gen. John D.W. Corley, the commander of Air Combat Command. The announcement officially makes Langley’s F-22 squadrons combat ready. FOC for the F-22 means the aircraft are now ready for global engagement, said Lt. Col. Mark Hansen, the Air Combat Command F-22 integration officer. “Crews are now (fully) organized, trained, equipped and ready for the joint fight,” he said.
Since the F-22s reached initial operational capability two years ago, the 1st Fighter Wing and the Air National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing have dedicated time and resources into finding how to best use and maintain the world’s most advanced fighter. The fighter has deployed and trained across the world to define and refine its capabilities and tactics.
The 1st FW has been training for the wartime mission since the F-22 went IOC, said Brig. Gen. Mark A. Barrett, the 1st FW commander. Langley AFB’s F-22s were declared IOC in December 2005, making them capable of some combat operations such as homeland defense.
“We are available to be tasked at any time, to do whatever our nation requires,” General Barrett said. The 1st and 192nd Fighter Wings will continue to baseline the F-22 so the rest of the fleet can learn from their experience, he said.
Even though the F-22 has reached FOC, Airmen at Langley AFB will continue training to get better every day, said Col. Jay Pearsall, the 192nd FW commander.
“There’s no change in training,” he said. “Everybody is working hard, and we’re ready to go to war, (on) deployments or on exercises.”
(SPX)
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Well considering that’s near my house, I can sleep better at night!
December 14th, 2007 at 1:50 pma.s. you out in palmdale or what?
December 14th, 2007 at 1:54 pmRichmond, actually; Langley AFB is about an hour’s drive E on I-64 from my house.
December 14th, 2007 at 2:00 pmA message to bad guys anywhere around the globe: “Say hello to my little friend!”
December 14th, 2007 at 2:19 pmBut Iran has Dassault Mirage F1’s a few Russian Mig’s, McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II’s and 50 Northrop F-5’s! : O
Teeheeheehee!
December 14th, 2007 at 7:27 pmAm I a bad girl to say I just “got wood” looking at those pictures?
Bash -
Makes up for the Berkeley boobs
December 14th, 2007 at 8:39 pmLong time reader, first time poster. Get some!!
December 15th, 2007 at 3:24 amThis unit has been “Up” longer than that Dec 12th date. This is old news. BTW there is NOTHING in the world at the moment,,,including Russia that can touch the F-22. It’s the baddest, meanist mofo on the block right now. One flight of these aircraft can defeat anything that the Iraniacs have before they could even get off a shot. The Iraniac airforce pucker-factor just went up by a factor of 10.
A little music maestro: “Up we go into the wild blue yonder..Climbing high into the sun. Here they come zooming to meet our thunder…”
December 15th, 2007 at 9:25 amBut Iran has Dassault Mirage F1’s
but no pieces for changing the deffectuous ones
December 15th, 2007 at 10:00 amThe Iraniacs could get spare parts for their F-4’s, F-5’s, F-14’s and F-1’s all they want to and still be no match for the F-22. There is only one aircraft in the world that can match the F-22 in a turn and it is the Russian F-35.
At range the F-35 is still no match for the F-22. The F-22 has a better radar and longer-range missiles than the F-22.
The F-22 also has stealth characteristics which gives it a smaller radar signature than the F-35.
In sum, nothing that the Iraniacs have, are a match for the F-22…even if the Iraniacs were able to find sufficient spare parts for all their older, obsolete aircraft, to make them all operational, the Iraniacs would still be shotdown in record numbers…no matter what they are flying.
And I won’t even get into the fact that USAF, Marine and Navy pilots have more comabt experience than any adverary outside of the West at the moment.
The Iraniacs have exactly zero chance of success against the F-22. Or for that matter the F-16, F-15 or F-18.
A good Israeli pilot might be able to put up a good fight in an older F-1 against the F-18, F15 or F-16 flown by an experienced American aviator. But an Iranian flying his first combat mission in an F-1? He might want to get ready to meet his 72 virgins.
December 15th, 2007 at 10:32 am@Dan (The Infidel)
The Iraniacs have exactly zero chance of success against the F-22. Or for that matter the F-16, F-15 or F-18.
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Or ANY given crop duster in the Mid-West of the USA, for that matter …
December 15th, 2007 at 3:37 pm