Lockheed 
Martin has delivered the 15th F-22 of the year to the Air Force. This airframe, with tail number 4168, flew from the company’s Marietta, Ga., assembly facility to Langley AFB, Va., on Tuesday. It’s the 88th consecutive Raptor delivered ahead of schedule and the 168th delivered overall, according to a company release. Langley is home to the 1st Fighter Wing that operates two squadrons of combat-ready F-22s.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.