The U.S. Air Force is consolidating the maintenance of the F-22 Raptor jet fighter resulting in a loss of work at the Lockheed Martin Corp. facility in Palmdale. The maintenance work will now be done at Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah The F-22 is a single-seat fighter using stealth technology that is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing Corp., which supplies the wings, rear fuselage and avionics integration. The Air Force expects to save $16 million a year by moving all maintenance to Utah, according to a press release, which did not state the job losses. “Palmdale has made a storied contribution to aviation and while this move makes sense, we are certain this important workforce will continue strongly supporting the Air Force at Palmdale for many years to come,” said Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II, commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, in a prepared statement. The Air Force will complete the consolidation over the next two and a half years.