add ‘additional electronic protection
enhancements and improved emitter
geo-location capability.’‘BONEHEADS’ HEAD HOME
The 95th FS deployment to Europe was
completed on May 8, 2016 as the jets
started to head back to Florida, with the
initial eight aircraft departing. According
to Col Novotny: ‘Many lessons were
learned that will ensure faster, simple and
if necessary more lethal deployments in
the future.’
Some have questioned whether the
visibility of the Raptors on the world
stage is linked to ambitions to re-starting
production or permanently basing F-22s
in Europe. While the decisions on either
of these lie at the very top of the USAFand the US government, Lt Col Lehoski
said that ‘part of this trip was de nitely to
practice operating out of di erent bases
in Europe and every time we take F-22s to
new locations we learn new things about
the speci cs of each air eld that will make
it easier if we do need to go back there
on TDY [temporary deployment] or on
contingency operations. We are also able
to identify fth-generation low-observable
requirements for our maintenance teams
that will help plan for supporting the F-35
when it joins the 48th FW.’
In summary, Lt Col Lehoski added: ‘There
were so many great opportunities on this
deployment. We could have stayed for
months and would still be getting a ton
of good training for our pilots, support
personnel, and maintainers.’Lehoski, but they were primarily
Increment 3.2 standard.
Increment 3.1 provided the F-22 with
enhanced air-to-ground capabilities,
including in the DEAD mission with
geo-location of selected emitters,
electronic attack, air-to-ground
synthetic aperture radar mapping and
designation of surface targets, plus
GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB)
integration. Increment 3.2A is a software
modi cation intended to provide
improved electronic protection, Link 16
receive-only integration, and improved
combat identi cation capabilities.
Operational squadrons started to receive
this from July 2015.
Increment 3.2B is still coming and
has not been elded yet, but this willRight top
to bottom:
Brothers in
arms — the RAF
Lakenheath
deployment
provided
an excellent
opportunity
to forge
relationships
with the locally
based F-15C/E
squadrons.
Jim Haseltine
Low down in
‘The Mach
Loop’ — one of
a pair of 95th
FS Raptors that
ew low level in
Wales on April
26, 2016.
Morley LesterRAPTOR^9382-93 Frontline C.indd 93 28/09/2017 15:03