Last of 24 F-22s arrive at Tyndall

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — The last of the New Mexico F-22s finally arrived at Tyndall Air Force Base this week.

“It’s great to see finally the airplanes get here,” said Commander of the 95^th Fighter Squadron Lt. Col. Ronald Gilbert. “It’s been in a long time coming.”

The final four F-22 Raptors from the 7^th Fighter Squadron at Holloman Air Force Base near Albuquerque, N.M. arrived at Tyndall Air Force Base Tuesday. Plans were in the works to move the squadron for about three years. The transfer was delayed by about a year.

In total, 24 F-22 Raptors were transferred to Tyndall from Holloman.

“We are a fifth generation fighter,” which means, Gilbert said, Tyndall has “the most advanced fighter in the world that’s currently operational; and with that, we have a huge tactical advantage over the adversary — both their airplanes but also their air defenses.”

The transfer of the fighter squadron from Holloman involves about 1,100 total active, reserve and support manpower authorizations. Seven T-38 Talons also were moved from Holloman to Tyndall.

Soon the fighter planes will take their first summer training trip dropping bombs at a base in Utah, Gilbert said. With the arrival of three-fourths of its personnel, the squadron plans to declare full operational capability by early fall, late summer.