The U.S. Air Force believes it has identified and fixed the problems that have plagued the F-22 “Raptor” program, with pilots complaining of dizzy spells and blackouts while flying the advanced, stealth fighter jet.
Speaking to reporters, Pentagon spokesman George Little said the “root cause of the issue is the supply of oxygen … not the quality of oxygen delivered to pilots.”
The Air Force will replace a valve that was causing high altitude pressure vests to inflate, causing difficulties in breathing for some pilots. The Air Force will also remove a filter that monitored oxygen for contaminants and reduced the flow of breathable oxygen to pilots. No contaminants have been found in the oxygen system, so the filter was seen as not necessary.
The Air Force will also deploy a new emergency oxygen system on all F-22s.
“We have very high confidence that we have identified the issue,” Little said. “It’s going to take us a while to ensure that all of the relevant components are replaced.”
The fleet of 187 planes was grounded last year for about four months after pilots voiced their complaints, going as far as to break protocol and appear on the nationally-televised newscast, “60 Minutes” on CBS.
Each F-22 costs $143 million. It has not yet been used in combat.
flyback says
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