"America's First Team is excited about the opportunity and humbled by the responsibility of bringing the F/A-22 to operational status," said Col. Frank Gorenc, commander of the 1st Fighter Wing. "Langley Air Force Base is Raptor-ready."
The Raptor started down the road to initial operational capability, or IOC, at the wing's official kickoff ceremony on 11 February. However, Langley has been preparing for this day for several years. The base, located near Hampton, Virginia, will become the home of the first combat-coded F/A-22s.
"Our F/A-22 integration office coordinated all the actions required to make this new home for the Raptor possible," says Gorenc. "It was no small effort. More than $130 million of military construction, facility moves, manpower changes, and training requirements were worked by the integration office to ensure we were ready to accept the Raptor. We are ready on time, and Raptor operations are under way."
Construction projects completed or in the works include a flight simulator, a composite repair facility, improvements to weapons storage, and new hangars for each of the wing's three squadrons. At least eight other major projects are also under way or planned.
The 1st FW's 27th Fighter Squadron was chosen to be the first combat-ready Raptor squadron in the fall of 2003. The 27th, which is the oldest fighter squadron in the Air Force, moved into its new hangar earlier this year. The exterior of the hangar shares the same architecture as the other historic buildings at Langley, but the inside has all-modern conveniences.
Getting Started
"Last fall, we essentially deconstructed the squadron," says Lt. Col. James Hecker, the 27th FS commander. "We took our F-15Cs and split them between the other two squadrons on base, the 94th and 71st. We drew down to me, our operations officer, two F-15 pilots, and two designated F/A-22 pilots. We are now starting to fly the Raptor and building the squadron back up. We plan to reach IOC in December."
One of the nine original F/A-22s, Raptor 05, was retired from the flight test fleet at the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, in January, and flown to Langley where it will serve as a maintenance trainer. "Having an actual jet that can be touched and worked on has been invaluable in getting our maintenance troops trained," says Hecker. Raptor 05, the fifth F/A-22 built, newly repainted with the 1st FW's FF tailcode, served as the centerpiece of the February kickoff ceremony.
The 325th FW, the F/A-22 schoolhouse at Tyndall AFB, Florida, temporarily assigned two aircraft to Langley to allow the 27th FS to begin F/A-22 operations. Hecker, who completed pilot training last fall, flew the first Raptor to Virginia on 18 January. A second loaner was delivered on 15 March. Raptor 41, the first aircraft to be permanently assigned to Langley, is scheduled for delivery in May. The squadron expects to receive two new Raptors a month until next March or April, at which time it will have a full complement of twenty-four aircraft.
Between academics and flights, Raptor pilot conversion training takes about three months at Tyndall. Two 27th FS pilots started the class in March; four more pilots are scheduled to begin training in May; and an additional six squadron pilots will begin training in July. About every two months thereafter, six more pilots will start learning how to fly the Raptor.
On To IOC
"We go to wing stand-up meetings every day to hear squadron commanders report on how many sorties were flown the day before and how many sorties are scheduled for that day,” Hecker notes. “I had to sit on my hands for a couple of months because we didn't have any aircraft. But now I have something to report."
Pilots of the Screaming Eagles, as the 27th FS is called, flew nine F/A-22 sorties in February. That number will rapidly ramp up with the coming of additional aircraft and pilots. "It is a great time to be here," notes Hecker. "We are trying to fly as much as we can and get our maintenance troops trained so we are ready to go when we reach IOC."
Unlike previous platforms, IOC for the F/A-22 is not based on a certain number of aircraft or a certain number of pilots and maintainers. "The commander of Air Combat Command will declare us at IOC based on what our level of capability is," notes Hecker. "Rather than being based on an arbitrary number, the decision will be based on how well we can do our mission."
"We are fortunate that we are not the very first squadron to get this aircraft," Hecker continues. "We are using lessons learned from Edwards, Nellis, and Tyndall. Most of our time will be spent getting ready to take the jet to war. We are working the mobility part-developing deployment check-lists, what kind and how many spare parts we will need to take with us, and how to move the squadron in theater if called on."
The Next Steps
The 94th Fighter Squadron, which dates back to Eddie Rickenbacker's Hat-in-the-Ring Squadron in World War I, will begin conversion to the F/A-22 in late spring 2006. The 27th Fighter Squadron will play an important role in the 94th's changeover.
"We will fan out our flight leads to the 94th to help that squadron get going," says Hecker. "Our pilots will have the experience to lead the 94th's conversion. We'll then backfill the 27th with newly trained pilots. However, if the country goes to war, we can pull those experienced pilots back from the 94th into the 27th."
The 94th FS is scheduled to complete transition to the F/A-22 in late spring 2007. The 71st FS will start conversion to the Raptor after that. "In mid 2008, the 1st Fighter Wing will be an F/A-22-only wing," says Gorenc. "As the first operational wing and base to employ the F/A-22, we have the most lethal fighter on the planet. I can think of a thousand ways its stealth, speed, surgical strikes, agile maneuverability, and superb sustainability can be used. The F/A-22 will be flying for decades to come across the entire spectrum of conflict anywhere in the world."
In addition to the three active-duty flying squadrons at Langley, the 1st FW is also a highly visible participant in the US Air Force Future Total Force initiative. While details are still being worked, the Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing, currently an F-16 unit based in Richmond, Virginia, would be integrated with the 1st FW and fly the same aircraft, much like is currently done with airlift units.
"The proposed integration of the two units would form a team of highly experienced personnel," says Gorenc. "Members of both organizations are working with ACC to develop a concept of operations. We are planning to send a Virginia Air National Guard pilot to F/A-22 training at Tyndall and training two Guard maintenance personnel on the Raptor. The proposed integration is meant to enhance the effectiveness with which we both accomplish our missions, which is to provide combat air power for America."
Jeff Rhodes is the associate editor of Code One.
