The Air Force has released a statement declaring that the problem that prompted the service to interrupt the deployment of 12 F-22A Raptors to the Japanese island of Okinawa last week should be fixed “within the next several days.” A 13th Air Force spokesman told Daily Report on Monday that multiple aircraft in the flight from Hickam AFB, Hawaii, had experienced a navigational software glitch, prompting their return to Hickam. In a Feb. 14 statement, Lt. Gen. Loyd Utterback, 13th AF commander, calls the problem “a minor issue.” He said safety concerns always take precedence.
The Air Force overall reduced its size by 120 aircraft in fiscal year 2021, but kept about the same number of fighter, bomber and attack aircraft, according to data supplied by the service. The F-35 fleet saw the biggest increase while the B-1B bomber fleet saw the largest decline.