U.S. allows F-22 fighter jets back in service

U.S. allows F-22 fighter jets back in service

The U.S. Air Force on Monday ended a four-month stand down for its F-22 Raptors fleet, allowing the jets to return to the service.

According to an Air Force statement, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz have approved a plan developed by Air Combat Command officials that will allow the F-22 Raptor to resume flight operations.

Air Combat Command directed a stand-down of the fleet on May 3 as a safety precaution, following 12 separate reported incidents where pilots experienced hypoxia-like symptoms. The incidents occurred over a three-year period beginning in April 2008. The return-to-flight plan implements several risk mitigation measures, including rigorous inspections, training on life support systems, and continued data collection.

"We now have enough insight from recent studies and investigations that a return to flight is prudent and appropriate, " Schwartz said. "We're managing the risks with our aircrews, and we're continuing to study the F-22's oxygen systems and collect data to improve its performance."

The entire fleet will undergo an extensive inspection of the life support systems before returning to flight, with follow-on daily inspections, officials said. The aircraft is capable and authorized to fly above 50,000 feet. Pilots will use additional protective equipment and undergo baseline physiological tests. The return-to-fly process will begin with instructor pilots and flight leads regaining their necessary proficiency, then follow with other F-22 wingmen.

The F-22 Raptor entered service in 2005. As of May 2011, the Air Force has fielded 170 of the aircraft. The F-22 are deployed on a rotational basis to the Pacific region and Southwest Asia.

Editor: yan

English.news.cn   2011-09-20 06:23:05 FeedbackPrintRSS
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua)