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Cross-country drive on 2 gallons of gas
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Six new F-22A Raptors fighter planes landed at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, Thursday.
USAF officials held a ceremony marking the aircrafts arrival to their post in the state.
The base, when fully manned, will house two active-duty Raptor squadrons with 20 jets each. The squadrons will include more than 500 maintainers and 60 pilots. Officials are planning two aircrafts with crews added to the base per month until fully staffed.
The squadrons will begin a limited number of operations with up to six jets at a time after the unit completes training. Officials expect the squadrons will spend until next summer manning and training.
“Here in Alaska we have probably the best training space in the United States,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, commander of PACOM’s (Pacific Command) Alaskan Command, in a statement. “Then you take the strategic location of Alaska, which allows us to reach any part of the northern hemisphere in roughly the same time, it is a perfect match. The position in Alaska allows us to get wherever … our nation needs us quicker than from any other location.”
Raptors are currently assigned to five U.S. bases. The USAF has contracted Lockheed Martin to build 183 Raptors. Company officials say 106 aircraft had been completed with 99 delivered.
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