"“We’re way ahead of where people expected us to be,” Secretary Roche
said of the Raptor’s initial operational test evaluation trials.

The secretary used the results of a recent combat simulation to
describe the Raptor’s capabilities. “We had five F-15 Eagles against
one Raptor,” he said. “The engagement was over in three minutes. None
of the F-15s even saw the Raptor. The Raptor simply went down the line
and, in simulation, took out all five of the F-15s.”

One reporter asked if the simulations were fair, since the F/A-22
pilots had previously flown the F-15.

“They never get into dogfights, so it makes no difference,” Secretary
Roche said. “The fact that (the Raptor) flies very high, very stealthy
and at (Mach 1.6) without afterburner makes it very tough for anybody
else to have a fire control solution. The F-15s, with very good
radars, were not able to pick up and understand where the F/A-22s
were, and the F/A-22 was looking at the F-15s all the time.”

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley explained the
situation further. “Real combat is an interactive event,” he said.
“You’re not looking for a fair fight; you’re looking for the game to
be called in the second inning, not having to play out all nine
innings."