Edited sentence: Actual combat is a far greater indicator of a weapon system's capabilities.Dissimilar aircraft from different nations do not as a rule reveal all of their system's capabilities or tactics during exercises.Further if the F-15Es were on the other plane's tail it is quite likely that they would have sent a missile up its tailpipe long before the enemy jet's radar warning receiver went off.It does not reflect the true capabilities of the actual aircraft.It is no secret that the US Air Force wants more Raptors.Obviously they are going to take advantage of any perceived weakness in the F-15 to get more funds for the F-22.Rarely are all of the facts and parameters of the encounters available for public consumption.Rarely have the above stated "encounters" been corroborated by anyone who had actually been there or would be in a position to know if the event actually happened.The F-15Es are bombers first and fighters second.The object of COPE 2004 as with any exercise with a foreign nation is to simulate the capabilities of a potential opponent, in this case Pakistan, air force.The operators are not trained in air to air as a primary mission.While all of the above is alleged to have happened it should be noted the following: