The F-22s, flown by the Hawaii Air National Guard, joined the two B-2 Spirits in coordinated maneuvers over the islands. The pairing brought together two of the Air Force’s most capable — and most different — aircraft: a long-range stealth bomber built to penetrate enemy defenses and strike from deep inside contested territory, and an air superiority fighter designed to clear the skies ahead of it.
Working together lets crews from both platforms refine what the Air National Guard calls cutting-edge tactics, techniques and procedures — the operational playbook units rely on when a bomber needs a fighter escort and a fighter needs to know exactly where the bomber will be. Air Force officials said the training sharpens the ability to respond quickly to any contingency in the region.
The exercise fits into a broader pattern. Bomber Task Force deployments rotate B-2s, B-52s and B-1s through bases around the world, giving crews repeated practice operating far from home and alongside unfamiliar units. Pairing bombers with fighters is a routine part of that training, but doing so over Hawaii — a hub for U.S. Pacific Air Forces operations — carries added weight given the region’s importance to American defense planning.
