plawolf
Lieutenant General
Re: F-22
I really cannot understand how this problem could be so hard to fix or how it could have developed in the first place.
The life support systems on fighter jets is hardly some cutting-edge tech that required much innovation in the first place. One wonders why it was necessary to develop a new system for the F22 would the existing ones operating on thousands of USAF and USN fighters are working just fine and have been for decades.
Life support is also a self-contained system that should have been relatively straight forward to isolate and thoroughly test and evaluate. it should have easily been the least risky and most well known element of the F22.
In light of this, one really has to wonder if the recent deployment of F22s to the UEA, and specifically, within easy range of the Iranian boarder was such a good idea.
Even if the F22s had no intension of violating Iranian airspace, one could easily end up crashing deep inside Iran if the pilot passed out or is killed by this life support problem. The political and security costs of having an F22 fall into Iranian hands would be hard to over-estimate, and for what? What role does the US need the F22s to serve that the likes of the B2 or F15/F16 could not already accomplish?
The only thing that comes to mind would be for the F22 to act as escorts for B2s on bombing missions, but then 6 F22s hardly seems enough for such a mission.
I really cannot understand how this problem could be so hard to fix or how it could have developed in the first place.
The life support systems on fighter jets is hardly some cutting-edge tech that required much innovation in the first place. One wonders why it was necessary to develop a new system for the F22 would the existing ones operating on thousands of USAF and USN fighters are working just fine and have been for decades.
Life support is also a self-contained system that should have been relatively straight forward to isolate and thoroughly test and evaluate. it should have easily been the least risky and most well known element of the F22.
In light of this, one really has to wonder if the recent deployment of F22s to the UEA, and specifically, within easy range of the Iranian boarder was such a good idea.
Even if the F22s had no intension of violating Iranian airspace, one could easily end up crashing deep inside Iran if the pilot passed out or is killed by this life support problem. The political and security costs of having an F22 fall into Iranian hands would be hard to over-estimate, and for what? What role does the US need the F22s to serve that the likes of the B2 or F15/F16 could not already accomplish?
The only thing that comes to mind would be for the F22 to act as escorts for B2s on bombing missions, but then 6 F22s hardly seems enough for such a mission.
