It seems alot of the pessimism about this aircraft are behind the information curve several months.
This claim is always made with new missileer type aircraft. It was the plan for the ill-fated F-111B, and the F-4, and the F-14A, the F-15A, and now the F-22. The problem is -- BVR (Beyond Visual Range) engagement assumes very liberal ROE (Rules of Engagement). US and allied ROE usually demand visual identification of targets (remember the time the USAF smoked two Army blackhawks over norther Iraq after Desert Storm? That was after a visual tally on the copters.
In some kinds of engagements (fleet or convoy defence, for one) BVR engagement is probably easily incorporated in the ROE. In others it is harder to do.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
PS thanks for posting the USAF press release.