After passing nearly four months in hangers on the ground, the 170+ American elite stealth fighter jets have now been approved to get back into the air by none other than the USAF itself. The 5th generation jets were completely grounded back in May/June due to a number of pilot blackouts and a fatal accident.
Ironically USAF still doesn’t know for sure what caused those problems as there are a number of suspects which include the oxygen system aboard, congested garage-like hangars and toxic fumes. However, the Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said that the risk should be manageable. He further said:
“We now have enough insight from recent studies and investigations that a return to flight is prudent and appropriate.”
The flights will soon be resumed but with strict daily inspections and a brief inspection of the on board life support system. The USAF’s decision to allow F-22s to get back into active service has solved the issue for America of having almost no stealth aircraft combat ready (which had arisen after the grounding took place).
The flawless availability of F-22 is extremely important for USAF as after 2030 it will rely mainly on only two fighters – the F-22 Raptor and the Joint Strike Fighter.
Photo Courtesy: USAF
No comments:
Post a Comment