LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The 27th Fighter Squadron will be the first of three squadrons here to transition to the F/A-22 Raptor. The Air Force’s newest fighter begins arriving in late 2004, said Col. Frank Gorenc, 1st Fighter Wing commander.
“A major factor in this decision is heritage,” Gorenc said. “The (27th FS) is the Air Force’s oldest fighter squadron. (Besides its) impressive combat record, (it was) the first unit to fly the P-38 Lightning for the Army Air Force in 1941, as well as the first operational unit to fly the F-15 Eagle. This makes the 27th the first operational squadron to fly the Raptor -- continuing (its) historical legacy.”
Langley’s 71st FS and 94th FS will also transition to the F/A-22 at later dates. The squadrons are expected to be equipped with 24 aircraft each. The transition is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2007.
“Our construction projects and on-going efforts to receive our first Raptor at the end of 2004 are right on track,” Gorenc said. “It’s extremely encouraging and exciting to us that Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., the Air Force’s schoolhouse for future F/A-22 pilots, received its first Raptor the end of (September).”
Tyndall, once known as the “The Home of Air Superiority” became “The Home of Air Dominance” with the arrival of its first F/A-22 and the leaps in technology the aircraft represents. Following their training at Tyndall, the pilots of the 1st FW will be the first to put the Raptor’s capabilities into action.
“The F/A-22 will open a new chapter of air dominance for the Air Force and the 1st Fighter Wing. Quite simply, the Raptor gives us an unprecedented ability to reach out and touch our enemy -- quickly and precisely,” Gorenc said. (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Service)