Raptors head to Asia, with role and future cloudy

HAMPTON

The morning fog burned off the runways at Langley Air Force Base on Wednesday morning, peeling one shroud from a line of jets known for their stealth.

By midafternoon, about a half-dozen of the Air Force's newest fighter jet, the F-22 Raptor, launched west for a four-month deployment in Japan.

Three years into its operational life, the expensive and controversial fighter jet - about 40 are based at Langley - may be at a crossroads. The aircraft has been criticized for its slow development, lack of a clear mission and escalating price. The Air Force estimates its costs at $142 million per plane, making it the military's most expensive fighter.

The military has authorized the purchase of 183 planes, less than a quarter of their initial goal. Congress extended funding for the Raptor for one year, despite its lack of participation in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and opposition from military leadership.

A decision on the jet's future will likely come this year, said John Pike, director of the military Web site GlobalSecurity.org. "The new administration is going to have to deal with it," he said.

About 250 air men from Langley's 1st Fighter Wing, 27th Fighter Squadron, are deploying this week to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The squadrons are expected to perform exercises with Navy aviators as well as Japanese security forces.

As they prepared for their mission, fighter pilots touted their plane's performance.

"We're ready to do our job," said Lt. Col. Thomas Shank, director of operations for the 27th Fighter Squadron. The Raptor's maneuverability, speed and advanced electronics have proven superior to other fighter jets, he said.

The squadron is focused on the coming mission and is not thinking about potential combat missions, he said. There's no need for the Raptor in Iraq and Afghanistan, he added - the U.S. and its coalition partners completely control the airspace there, so the Raptor's stealth isn't required.

Pike said the Raptor is the fastest, most difficult-to-detect fighter in the sky and guarantees "air superiority from day one."

Its capabilities are far ahead of any competitors, he said, and could deter nations such as China.

The Air Force maintains that the fighter is critical to national security. Air Force leaders are reviewing changes to the F-22 program, but no decisions have been made, said Lt. Col. John Paradis, a spokesman for Air Combat Command.

Pike suggested a few potential futures for the F-22: build more, sell to a foreign ally, or cease production.

Langley was the first base to accept the new fighters and is home to two F-22 squadrons. Others are based at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, with more to be stationed at Holloman Air Force base in New Mexico.

Langley has served as a hub, hosting planes, pilots and airmen from Elmendorf during their initial training.

The plane has demonstrated its capabilities in exercises and deployments since it was deemed mission-ready in December 2005, said Col. Dirk Smith, operations commander for the 1st Fighter Wing.

The fighters flew in the high-stress combat exercise known as Red Flag in Nevada in 2007, he said. The highly maneuverable plane proved nearly impossible for enemy pilots to catch.

The plane's advanced radar and electronics allowed pilots the best awareness of the combat zone, Smith said. "We really dominated," he said.

The mission in Japan will allow the 27th Fighter Squadron to hone its skills overseas. The same unit deployed to Kadena in 2007.

Louis Hansen, (757) 446-2322, louis.hansen@pilotonline.com