Still In an Envelope

Despite the training space available on the Nellis AFB, Nev., ranges, Col. Tom Bergeson, commander of the 1st Operations Group at Langley AFB, Va., said there were a few limitations on the F-22A Raptors during their first engagement at Red Flag. The Raptor’s supersonic capabilities and ability to drop joint direct attack munitions from long distances requires a “safe range” not found at Nellis. Consequently, Raptor pilots had to keep their aircraft on a bit of a leash. At the same time, Bergeson told reporters at the Pentagon Tuesday that despite past hiccups with the computer avionics of the fighter, today it is a “rare occurrence” when a pilot has to reboot his systems.