Alison Orne, a spokeswoman for Lockheed, welcomed the news, noting that the Air Force was taking the issue very seriously and doing all it could to ensure the safety of the pilots.

Asked why the issue was not discovered earlier, Schwartz said the F-22 was a unique airplane.

“You can pull G6 Gs at 50,000 feet. Tell me what other airplane ever can do that,” he said, referring to the airplane’s unique ability to defy gravitational forces and execute hairpin turns at high altitudes.

Schwartz said testing of the airplane did not reveal the shortcomings that were recently discovered, underscoring the need for deep and continuous testing.