The F-22 Raptor Controls an Autonomous Wingman in Flight for the First Time
In early October 2026, an F-22A Raptor pilot commanded an autonomous YFQ-44A Fury in flight - the first airborne control of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
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The F-22 Raptor Over Oshkosh and the Untold Story of America's Last Pure Air Superiority Fighter
The F-22 Raptor remains America's only operational 5th-generation air superiority fighter, with just 187 built despite an original requirement for 750.
TowerThe USAF Heritage Flight, the Formation That Bridges Eighty Years of American Airpower, and the Warbird Pilots Who Keep History Flying
The USAF Heritage Flight program pairs privately-owned WWII warbirds with active-duty jets at airshows, bridging eighty years of American airpower since 1997.
TowerThe AIM-260 JATM, Lockheed Martin's Production Deal, and the Air-to-Air Missile Gap That Drove It All
The DoD signed a September 2026 framework agreement with Lockheed Martin to expand AIM-260 JATM production, positioning it to replace the AMRAAM as America's primary beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile.
TowerThe F-22 Belly Landing, the Koren Kolligian Trophy, and the Decision That Saved an Irreplaceable Jet
An F-22 Raptor pilot earned the Air Force's highest flight safety award after executing a successful belly landing following loss of a main landing gear wheel.
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