RECENT U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft taxi into position for an inspection before a training mission during Red Flag 14-1 on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 29, 2014. The pilots are assigned to the 391st Fighter Squadron. U.S. Air Force photo by Lorenz Crespo.

A KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft prepares to refuel an F-22 Raptor over the Nevada Test and Training Range during Red Flag 14-1 on Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 28, 2014. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Veronica Montes.

OFFICIALS SAY SOURSE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

An F-22 Raptor from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron returns to a training mission after refueling March 27, 2012, over the Pacific Ocean. Air Force officials have determined the source of previously unexplained physiological incidents involving the fifth-generation fighter jet. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth

Air Force Assures F-22 Readiness Following Extensive Testing


By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2012 - Following months of life support systems components testing in the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, officials have "determined with confidence" the source of previously unexplained physiological incidents, the director of operations for the Air Force's Air Combat Command said yesterday at a Pentagon news conference.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta last week approved a gradual lifting of restrictions he placed on F-22 flights in May.

The combined medical disciplines of flight medicine, toxicology, physiology, human factors and occupational health have enabled the service to assemble "pieces of the mosaic" that reside in the cockpit, Maj. Gen. Charles W. Lyon, designated by Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley in January to lead an investigative task force, said at yesterday's news conference. The general pinpointed the upper pressure garment, oxygen delivery hoses, quick connection points and on occasion, the air filter canister, as root causes of previously unexplained physiological incidents in which some pilots complained of hypoxia-like symptoms.

"As we completed end-to-end testing in the life support systems components, we are able to piece together the contributing factors for our previously unexplained incidents," Lyon said, crediting an "integrated, collaborative approach by government and industry" in helping the Air Force develop its findings. The task force, Lyon said, leveraged the investigative efforts of numerous safety investigation boards and the Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board to eliminate contamination as the root cause of the incidents.

Air Force officials used intensive altitude chamber and centrifuge protocols to isolate variables in the flight gear and cockpit connections, the general said. They also analyzed thousands of samples of gases, volatile and semi-volatile compounds, solids and liquids, and compared that data to occupational hazard standard levels.

"Managing risks to our F-22 force has always been pre-eminent as we work through this complex set of factors," Lyon said. "In the end, there is no 'smoking gun.'"

The fleet, grounded for five months last year, has flown nearly 8,000 sorties totaling more than 10,000 flight hours since its last reported unexplained incident in March, Lyon said.

In a recent update to Panetta that led to the decision to roll back the restrictions, Air Force officials said the service employed thorough, in-depth analysis to eliminate contamination as a contributing factor to its most recent incident and charted a path to eliminate all significant contributing factors today and in the future.

"We left no stone unturned in the investigative process," Lyon said, adding that the service will continue to move forward with enhancements and fixes as NASA primes to conduct an independent investigation.

The Air Force's investigative process also involved canvassing the F-22 communities to gauge pilot, maintainer and family member confidence in the aircraft's safety, Lyon said.

"I recently visited our F-22 bases, and I can tell you, their confidence is high," he said, noting that no hybrid high-altitude flight operations and high-maneuverability aircraft could be completely immune to such incidents. "There's no other aircraft our pilots would rather fly in the service of our nation," he added.

Panetta has authorized the deployment of a squadron of F-22 aircraft to Kadena Air Base, Japan, under altitude restrictions using the northern Pacific transit route. Upon completion of that mission, the Air Force likely will approve most long-duration flights, service officials said.

F-22 RAPTOR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS LIFTED

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force
Panetta Lifts F-22 Raptor Flight RestrictionsBy Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is satisfied the Air Force has identified the cause of hypoxia-like symptoms 12 F-22 pilots suffered, and restrictions he placed on use of the fifth-generation fighter will be lifted gradually.

Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz and other Air Force leaders told Panetta on July 20 that they are confident the root cause of the symptoms is the supply of oxygen to pilots and not the quality of oxygen, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today at a news conference.

Reporters asked why these shortcomings weren't picked up earlier. "I can't go back in time and conduct technical archeology on this type of aircraft," Little said. "I would say the Air Force has taken very prudent measures ... over the past year and a half or so with respect to the F-22. And they have come to the conclusion as to what is causing these hypoxia events.

"With any aircraft -- be it the F-22 or the F-16, [or] with a helicopter or a ground vehicle -- we can never take the risk to zero," he said. "But we have an obligation to our troops and our airmen to make whatever equipment they are using as safe as possible, and that's what we think we're doing here."

In May, Panetta directed the Air Force to limit all F-22 flights to remain near potential landing locations to enable quick recovery and landing should a pilot encounter oxygen deprivation. The secretary also directed the Air Force to expedite the installation of an automatic backup oxygen system in all of the planes, and he asked for monthly progress reports as the service continued the search for the root cause of the problem.

These actions were in addition to steps the Air Force already was taking to determine the root causes of the hypoxia-like symptoms pilots have experienced. Panetta made this decision, in part, due to the reluctance of some pilots to fly the aircraft, Little said at the time.

The Air Force has made two changes that appear to have solved the hypoxia problem. The first was to order pilots not to wear the pressure garment vest during high-altitude missions. Pilots use the vest to combat G-forces generated flying a high-performance aircraft. The vest inflates to stop blood from pooling, which would cause pilots to black out during high-speed turns.

The Air Force found that a faulty valve "caused the vest to inflate and remain inflated under conditions where it was not designed to inflate, thereby causing breathing problems for some pilots," Little said. "The garment has been suspended from flight since June."

This problem was not identified during initial F-22 testing.

Second, the Air Force removed a canister filter from the oxygen delivery system, and that has increased the volume of air flowing to pilots. The service also is looking at improving the oxygen delivery hose and its connections.

Following the Air Force briefing last week, Panetta decided to lift restrictions on the aircraft gradually. Beginning today, F-22s may resume long-duration flights for deployments, aircraft deliveries and repositioning of aircraft.

"Secretary Panetta has authorized deployment of a squadron of F-22 aircraft to Kadena Air Base, Japan," Little said. "The aircraft will fly to Japan under altitude restrictions using the northern Pacific transit route." Following completion of the flight to Japan, the Air Force likely will approve most long-duration flights, officials said.

Still, initial long-duration flight routes will be designed to pass near airfields. The Air Force also has imposed an altitude restriction on the aircraft so pilots will not need to wear the pressure vest.

Training sorties will remain near runways until completion of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board-recommended corrective actions. This is expected by the end of the summer.

The Air Force will notify Panetta when fixes are finished with the pressure vest and related cockpit life support components. Pending successful completion of associated testing and NASA's independent analysis, Panetta can decide to return the F-22 fleet status to normal operations.

F-22 FLIGHTS REMAIN NEAR POTENTIAL DESPITE HYPOXIA-LIKE SYMPTONS CONCERN

Photo:  F-22 Raptor.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

New Flight Restrictions Haven't Curbed F-22 Operations

By Claudette Roulo

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2012 - Safety measures put in place last month on F-22 Raptor flights have had no impact on operations, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby told reporters today.

Kirby and Pentagon Press Secretary George Little last month announced restrictions to F-22 flight operations after 12 pilots reported hypoxia-like symptoms.

In response, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta directed the retrofitting of automatic backup oxygen systems in the Raptor.

The Air Force is investigating the issue and providing monthly reports to Panetta.

In addition, all F-22 flights were ordered to remain near potential landing locations to enable quick recovery and landing should a pilot encounter problems during flight, Little said last month.

There are no plans to ground the aircraft, but Kirby said the Defense Department remains prepared for all possibilities.

"It's a safety-of-flight issue," he said. "Secretary Panetta understands that, and he's not taking any options off the table with respect to the future of the aircraft."

"Right now the aircraft is performing very well in an operational setting and ... we're just going to continue to watch this as we move forward," Kirby said.

AIR FORCE INSTITUTES NEW MEASURES TO MAKE F-22 FIGHTER SAFER

Photo:  U.S. Air Force
FROM:  THE U.S. AIR FORCE

Medical Official Explains F-22 Pilot-protection Efforts

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2012 - The Air Force has instituted measures designed to protect its pilots, ensure mission completion and assess the possible physiological effects of flying the F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft, the command surgeon for Air Combat Command told reporters here today.

"The health and safety of our pilots -- all of our pilots -- is the utmost priority," Air Force Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Daniel O. Wyman said. "Our operational flight surgeons and medical staff interact with our pilots on a daily basis, and mission No. 1 is their health and safety."

Before resuming F-22 flights in September 2011 after a safety stand-down, Wyman said, officials collected baseline blood samples and pulmonary function tests from every pilot.

"We had every pilot go through retraining with the reduced oxygen breathing device so that they would experience and know their own specific 'hypoxia symptoms,' he said, adding that the command also incorporated a pilot pulse oximeter and the C2A1 filter as protective measures.

Designed and certified by the Defense Department for the chemical warfare environment, Wyman said, the C2A1 filter canister was incorporated into the pilot's life support system to filter any potential contaminants from the air they breathed. The filter has been tested against military and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health protocols, and found to be effective against a number of different chemical warfare and industrial chemicals, Wyman said.

"It was cleared for flight use by the U.S. Air Force program office, and has been used by the military for over a decade in the ground crew and aircrew ensembles," he added.

For each flight, the pilot would receive a new C2A1 filter consisting of a high-efficiency particulate, or HEPA, air filter and activated carbon and charcoal, Wyman said, and they turned in the filters at the end of each flight.

Once flying resumed, Wyman said, a black dust was found in some of the breathing hoses near the C2A1 filter.

"We analyzed it and found it to be activated carbon dust ... an inert or nonreactive compound that has been used for air and water filtration for decades without any significant evidence of harm," Wyman said.

Filter test results indicated the amount of activated carbon dust liberated during normal use was well below the industrial hygiene standard levels set by government agencies, the command surgeon said. Thirty pilot throat swab samples examined by electron microscope also indicated no evidence of activated carbon, he added.

Still, some Raptor pilots have reported suffering persistent coughing, which Wyman maintained may stem from high concentrations of oxygen while undergoing spiked G-forces during maneuvering. These conditions, he said, may result in adsorption of the oxygen -- adhesion of a small layer of molecules -- and subsequent microcollapse of some of the small air sacs in the lungs.

"Coughing is a natural physiologic response that serves to re-inflate the air sacs," Wyman said, noting the condition typically occurs following the flight and is brief in duration.

Air Combat Command has implemented a "recognize-confirm-recover" approach to fortify safety measures, Wyman said. In addition to training that helps ensure pilots can more readily recognize hypoxia or hypoxia-like symptoms, fliers can also pull an emergency oxygen ring, then descend to an altitude at which hypoxia would not occur, he said.

Wyman stressed that the command will continue to evaluate for other potential contaminates or environmental or aircraft system factors through the use of sensors and other collection devices. No root cause has yet been discovered, he said.

"Every step of the way during the F-22 return-to-fly, we have worked with our pilots and all of our personnel involved to inspect the fleet, train the force, protect the crews and collect and analyze data," Wyman said.

COMMANDER OF AIR FORCE'S AIR COMBAT COMMAND BACKS F-22 RAPTOR

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
An F-22 Raptor from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron returns to a training mission after refueling March 27, 2012, over the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands. During the training, U.S. Air Force Academy cadets received a familiarization flight to get a better understanding of the Air Force's global reach capabilities. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth  

Air Force General Expresses Confidence in F-22
By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Amy L. Robinson
Air Combat Command
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va., May 5, 2012 - The commander of the Air Force's Air Combat Command met with reporters this week to discuss the national security imperative for the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the status of efforts to identify a root cause for unexplained physiological incidents with the aircraft, and risk mitigation efforts since the Raptor's return to flying operations in September 2011.

Confirming recent media reports of the F-22 deploying to Southwest Asia, Air Force Gen. Mike Hostage emphasized the Raptor's ability to support combatant commander requirements around the world.

"I won't comment where it's deployed to or where it deployed from, but yes, the F-22 is on an operational deployment now. And this is not the first operational deployment," he said. "If your adversary is so concerned about what your capabilities are they decide not to engage with you, that, to me, is the ultimate use of your military capability. People pay attention to where this airplane goes and what it does. ... We need to make sure that it's a sustained part of our inventory."

A command-directed F-22 stand-down from May to September 2011 was a prudent measure following reports of potential oxygen system malfunctions, the general said. Since the stand-down, he added, Air Combat Command has implemented risk mitigation measures intended to protect F-22 pilots and maintenance crews and prevent future incidents.

Though he understands there are still concerns about the aircraft, Hostage said, a certain amount of risk always is involved and must be balanced with the requirement for the capability.

"In a peacetime training circumstance, we want to operate at as low of risk is prudent for the level of training we get out of a mission," he explained. "When we go into combat, risk goes up, but the reason to assume that risk goes up as well.

"We live in a community where risk is part of our lives," he continued. "If we think the risk has gone to a level where we just can't accept it, we either reduce that risk or eliminate it. But right now, we believe that risk -- although it's not as low as we would like it -- is low enough to safely operate the airplane at the current tempo."

Hostage said he doesn't expect his airmen to take the risk alone. In an effort to learn more about the aircraft and get a better understanding of what F-22 pilots are dealing with, he said, hesoon will begin flying the Raptor himself.

"I'm asking these guys to assume some risk that's over and above what everybody else is assuming, and I don't feel like it's right that I ask them to do it and then I'm not willing to do it myself -- that's not fair," he said. The day officials figure out the problem is the day he will stop flying, he added.

Since the aircraft resumed flying operations in September, the F-22 has flown more than 12,000 sorties and returned to operational capability.

"We've taken a very specific, methodical approach to how we return to flying -- the types of missions and the durations of the missions," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles W. Lyon, Air Combat Command's director of operations, who also participated in the media roundtable. "We've been continually increasing the types and durations."

The Air Force continues to search for the root cause of the unexplained physiological incidents using detailed data-collection methods, which will soon include centrifuge and high-energy testing. Hostage said he believes the command is making significant progress toward an answer, but he emphasized that scientific testing and data collection take time.

"I believe we are making significant progress toward an answer," Hostage said. "I don't want to characterize how far or when, because I don't own the progress of science. But I am confident we're going to get to a solution."

Both Lyon and Hostage compared this to the early days of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Although the first F-16 had its first operational flight in 1970, the combat edge aircrew flight equipment, which was optimized for high-G flight, wasn't fielded until about 1988, Lyon said.

"We didn't field it slowly because we had fiscal challenges," he said. "It took us that long to get the understanding over time of what was actually happening."
Hostage said a similar situation exists with the F-22 regarding the unknown effects of human physiology and technology.

"What we're looking at is human physiology and the regime this airplane operates in," he said. "This airplane does things airplanes have never done before in regimes of flight that we've never operated in before."

Hostage said he's confident a solution for what he calls "the most tactically-capable aircraft in the world" will come.

"This nation needs this airplane – and every one of them," he said. "I wish I had 10 times as many as I have."

THE LAST F-22 RAPTOR

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
A crowd that included Air Force leadership, senators and congressional representatives, executives and plant personnel from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corporation attended a ceremony dedicating the delivery of the final F-22 Raptor in Marietta, Ga., May 2, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/Don Peek)

Air Force accepts final F-22 Raptor
by Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Gaston
94th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

5/3/2012 - MARIETTA, Ga. (AFNS) -- Senior Air Force officials attended a ceremony here May 2 commemorating the delivery of the final F-22 Raptor to the service.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz was joined by Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia and other industry, Air Force and civilian leaders as they were welcomed to Dobbins Air Reserve Base and the Lockheed Martin Marietta plant for the event.

The final delivery completes the Air Force's fleet of 195 F-22s. The Raptor is a key component of the Global Strike Task Force and is unmatched by any fighter aircraft due to its speed, stealth and maneuverability, according to Air Force officials.

During his remarks at the ceremony, Schwartz said the delivery represents an important element in the Air Force's overall modernization effort.

"Thank you to all of the partners in industry and government that made this occasion a reality," the general said. "I especially want to pay tribute to the line workers and engineers whose technical expertise, attention to detail and commitment to our nation's defense transformed an innovative notion into America's first 5th generation fighter aircraft."

When it was time to unveil the final F-22, the hangar doors rose and cheers from the assembled guests and workers erupted.

Robert Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer, said the very existence of the F-22 has altered the strategic landscape forever.

"It is also fair to say that, along the way, the F-22 has had a fair number of challenges and a fair number of critics," Stevens said. "But let's not fail to take note today of the number of nations, who rank among either competitors or adversaries, who are frantically trying to replicate what you have done."

The final F-22, tail number 4195, will be flown to its new unit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska.

FINDINGS OF F-22 RAPTOR ADVISORY BOARD

The photo and excerpt are from the Department of Defense: 
F-22 Raptor Advisory Board Announces Findings
By Mitch Gettle
Air Force Public Affairs Agency
WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 - Air Force leaders provided an update on the service's Scientific Advisory Board study into F-22 Raptor aircraft life support systems and flight operations during a Pentagon briefing yesterday.

Retired Air Force Gen. Gregory Martin, an aviator and a former commander of two major commands, chaired the nine-member SAB team which studied the F-22's onboard oxygen generation systems and briefed its findings and recommendations in trying to determine a reason why some people have experienced unexplained physiological events while piloting the aircraft.

"From April 2008 until May 2011, the Air Force experienced 14 physiological incidents with the fleet of F-22s," Martin said. "Each incident was investigated, and of those incidents, 10 did not reveal a root cause."

It was the unexplained nature of those incidents that gave the Air Force concern and led Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley to ask for a broad area review which the SAB conducted, he added.
"We were unable to determine a root cause, but we were able to put in place the proper safety measures and risk mitigation techniques that would allow the F-22 fleet to return to fly ... to ensure the integrity of the life support system," Martin said. "We went from ground test to flight test to a return-to-fly phase, and moving into a transition phase."

The advisory board made nine findings and 14 recommendations based on a seven-month study of the F-22's evolution -- from conception and acquisition through current flight operations -- which the Air Force can use to move forward.

Martin said the board's findings and recommendations fall into three areas: acquisition processes and policies, organizational structure recommendations, and equipment recommendations to not only protect the pilots and crew members today but also in the future.

"Some of the things we recommended give us a much better understating of the pilots' performance in those environments that we have not operated in before," Martin said. "It will further our understanding of the aviation physiology of operating in that environment."

Air Force leaders remain steadfast that the F-22 is a fully combat capable aircraft and they have every confidence in its current and future performance.

"Since September of last year we've flown over 10,000 sorties," said Maj. Gen. Charles Lyon, Air Combat Command's director of operations. "We've had a 99.9 percent effective flying rate relative to physiological incidents, but that is not good enough.

"We will not rest. We will not stop," Lyon continued. "We will not end this journey we are on until we carry that 99 percent decimal point to the farthest right that we can."

The Air Force is well into the implementation phase of the recommendations from the SAB team, he said, and continues to aggressively pursue the cause of these unexplained incidents.
"Let there be no doubt, that safety is paramount to the men and women who operate [the F-22] and the commanders who command them," Lyon said. "When we wear this uniform there is risk, there is risk inherent in aviation and risk inherently in conducting military operations.
Pilot safety has and always will remain a priority, Lyon added.

"We have instructed and talked to our members in the field," Lyon said. "Whenever you get any indication that something may not be right ... terminate the flight. All eyes are focused on you and the safe recovery of your aircraft."

When a physiological event occurs, the pilot is met by a medical team that provides immediate care, he said. Additional tests are taken, he added, and sent to the laboratory.
"And so far, nothing remarkable has come back from the [F-22 pilot] lab tests we've analyzed," Lyon said. "When it comes to safety, no one second-guesses the pilot."
The F-22 is a fifth-generation fighter and one that is needed for the United States to establish air superiority in today's and tomorrow's conflict's, said Maj. Gen. Noel "Tom" Jones, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans and Requirements.

The F-22 "is the leading edge of technology," Jones said, "and if our nation needs a capability to enter contested airspace to deal with air forces that are trying to deny our forces the ability to maneuver without prejudice on the ground, it will be the F-22 that takes on that mission."