2010 F-22 Raptor Aircraft Arrival

Posted on Jan 3, 2025 in 2010's, HING History

Air Guard upgrading jetfighters

For the Hawaii Air National Guard, we’re really looking forward to the conversion to the F-22 Raptor in late 2010. For the first time since the HIANG converted to F-15’s in 1987, we lost one of our Eagles in February when it went down in the ocean off Oahu. Fortunately, our HIANG pilot was not hurt and was promptly picked up in a textbook search and rescue operation. The Accident Investigation Board results are not releasable yet, and so I won’t comment on the cause of the mishap, but one thing is certain-the F-15s are getting old-most of which were built in the 1970’s. These three-decade-old high-performance fighter aircraft were built to fly about 4,000 flight hours. Many have surpassed two thousand hours more than that. The F22 is a fifth generation combat fighter that will ensure that the HIANG, along with our active duty partners, will remain relevant as part of our national defense well into the next decade and beyond. We are very fortunate to be selected as the only Air National Guard unit in the nation to “own the tails” of an F22 squadron. That shows the confidence the U.S. Air Force has in our people to maintain and fly such a valuable national asset.

– 2007 November – 2008 March Pūpūkahi pp. 2

The 199th Fighter Squadron began the conversion from the F-15 A/B/C/D Eagle fighter aircraft to the F-22 Raptor in FY 2010, taking delivery on the first two Raptors at the beginning of FY 2011.

– 2010 Annual Report pp. 15

HAWAIIAN STYLE BLESSING – Lt. Col. Christopher "Frenchy” Faurot, 199th Fighter Squadron pilot, along with his wife and Staff Sgt. Ben Nitta, a Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor crew chief, drapes a maile lei across the nose of the F-22 Raptor jetfighter during arrival ceremonies held July 12, 2010
HAWAIIAN STYLE BLESSING – Lt. Col. Christopher “Frenchy” Faurot, 199th Fighter Squadron pilot, along with his wife and Staff Sgt. Ben Nitta, a Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 Raptor crew chief, drapes a maile lei across the nose of the F-22 Raptor jetfighter during arrival ceremonies held July 12, 2010
(Picture from the 2010 Annual Report)

Throughout the year, the Hawaii Air National Guard continued to prepare for the arrival of the F-22 Raptors which are replacing the F-15 Eagles the 199th Fighter Squadron as flown since 1987. The first two Raptors flew into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam just days prior to the July 9 arrival ceremony.

– 2010 Annual Report pp. 18