Raptor Squadron To Deploy To Pacific In June
The F-22A Raptor, the Air Force's premier fighter, is scheduled to deploy to the Pacific area of responsibility for the first time this June, officials said Wednesday.

Twelve Raptors from Langley Air Force Base, Va., will participate in Exercise Northern Edge 2006. It will be held June 5-16 in Alaska.

Approximately 5,000 active-duty and reserve component officials will participate, making Northern Edge the largest scheduled exercise to take place in Alaska this year, according to a media release from Pacific Air Forces. Service members from PacAF, Air Combat Command, U.S. Army Alaska, Marine Forces Pacific, Special Operations Command Pacific, and U.S. Pacific Fleet will take part in the exercise.

"Northern Edge is designed to prepare joint forces to respond to crises in the Asia Pacific region," Col. John Marselus, chief of Joint Exercise Division Alaskan Command, said in the release. "The exercise is intended to sharpen skills, to practice operations, techniques, and procedures, to improve command, control and communication relationships, and to develop interoperable plans and programs."

The Raptors will be based temporarily at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, which will be home to the next operational F-22A wing. The base is expected to receive 36 Raptors, the first of which is scheduled to arrive in fall 2007.