F-22s damaged; command moved

More than a dozen F-22 Raptor fighters were damaged when Hurricane Michael hit Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The F-22s were trapped on the ground because they were in various states of maintenance and repair and had to ride out the Category 4 hurricane in hangars. As many as 17 of Tyndall’s F-22s might have sustained damage or been destroyed. Each F-22, a single-engine, single-seat fighter, costs $150 million. The rest of the F-22s based at Tyndall were sent to Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (Source: Popular Mechanics, 10/15/18) Meanwhile, headquarters of the First Air Force has shifted to Virginia because of the hurricane. The First Air Force is responsible for air security of the United States. The command will now be run out of Langley Air Force Base in Hampton. While the move is not permanent, it is expected to remain in Virginia for at least the rest of the year. (Source: Daily Beast, 10/15/18) Previous