Air Force and industry 
officials challenged those within the Pentagon who would seek to cut the numbers of F/A-22 Raptors. At several venues at AFA’s Air & Space Conference, officials maintained the new stealthy fighter is crucial to continued US air dominance. Maj. Gen. Richard Lewis, the Raptor program executive officer, said the fighter’s advanced capabilities and sophisticated weapons are crucial in the face of known future threats. “I think we’ve undersold the airplane in the past,” Lewis said at the conference.
Skyborg Makes First Flight Aboard Kratos Mako
May 5, 2021
The "Skyborg" software and hardware suite allowing an unmanned aircraft to team with crewed ones flew for the first time on April 29, the Air Force said, launching a series of experiments meant to prove out the safety and effectiveness of the approach.