The departing Air Force chief of staff said Tuesday the service is confident it has managed, but not eliminated, the risk associated with flying the F-22 and is deploying a squadron to Japan “within days.”
“We’re confident that we have managed the risk associated with continuing operations in the F-22,” Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters at the Pentagon. “Minimized, perhaps not eliminated, until modifications are in place, but minimized the risk. We’re doing it in a prudent way that has the endorsement of senior leadership in the Department (of Defense).”
Schwartz said the Air Force eliminated contamination as a possible cause for hypoxia-related incidents in the F-22 and has data that indicates the problem has to do with the amount, “not the quality,” of oxygen available in the cockpit.
“Given tests in the altitude chamber and in the centrifuge, we have confirmed that there is a combination of hardware-related items that have created breathing problems for our pilots,” Schwartz said. “Part of that is the upper pressure garment of the pressure, the G suit, assembly. Part of that has to do with hose and valve and connecting hardware in the cockpit.”
Schwartz also said the Air Force has a “deliberate” plan underway to modify and test that equipment under the “most demanding conditions” and that the plan will “hit the field” in September.
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday Panetta is satisfied the Air Force has identified the cause of the F-22’s hypoxia-like symptoms and will gradually lift the prior restrictions he placed on the F-22. Panetta in May limited F-22 flights to the proximity of potential landing locations (Defense Daily, May 16).
Schwartz said the major restriction Panetta approved Friday was deployment of F-22s to Japan via the “northern Pacific transit route,” which will take place in days. Schwartz said this is following the “northern island chain” and the estimated maximum time between landing points would be about 90 minutes. The Air Force will also have a F-22 pilot on an aerial refueling tanker that will accompany the fighter aircraft so there is a person outside the cockpit who can offer advice, Schwartz said.
“This is the type of prudent aviators’ risk management actions we are taking for this deployment,” he added.
The F-22 is developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT].