Air Force looking at larger Lockheed fighter order (F/A-22's)

Reuters ^ | 8/29/05 | Andrea Shalal-Esa

[Ronzo]

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper on Monday said arguments for restoring some Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) F/A-22 fighter jets cut from the Pentagon's 2006 budget were "making sense" to military planners.

"Quite frankly, I don't think the number's going to stay the same. I think we're making good arguments for why we need this airplane," Jumper told reporters at a final roundtable before he hands over the reins as the Air Force's top uniformed officer to Gen. Michael Moseley on Friday.

[Ronzo]

FYI...

[Paleo Conservative]

This should decrease the cost per unit. It should also increase the chances that a F/B-22 will be build. The Air Force also wants to reengine the remaining B-1's with the F-22 engines. This would allow the B-1 to supercruise to its targets. Contrary to anti B-1 propaganda, the B-1B is a very good bomber. While it is not as stealthy as the B-2, it has less than 1% of the radar cross-section of the B-52.

[KC_for_Freedom]

As a former Locheed engineer and now on a Lockheed pension I can get behind this. Go Lockheed.

[SevenMinusOne]

Glad to see this (now if we can only get the USN outfitted with a premier line fighter - a true replacement to the F-14D).

[konaice]

I read a publicly released study that showed that 179 is not even enough to protect the United States from a terrorist attack.

Yes, But....

Why would you need stealthy planes in the Continental US?
F16s are just fine for that.
Lets not forget the role this plane was designed to fill.

[Ronzo]

Glad to see this (now if we can only get the USN outfitted with a premier line fighter - a true replacement to the F-14D).

Gee, what about the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet????? (Just kidding!)

[Conservative Firster]

LINK: Chinese Defence Today

[Ronzo]

As a former Locheed engineer and now on a Lockheed pension I can get behind this. Go Lockheed.

I found this article while doing some stock buying research on Lockheed. I'd like to see Uncle Sam buy at least 400 F-22's. Any idea why it's taking so long????

Also found out that Lockheed has a good looking boat for the Navy's "Littoral Combat Ship" competition. Hope they win that too.

For those who are interested, here is a link to the Lockheed LCS site: http://www.lmlcsteam.com/solution.html

[KC_for_Freedom]

Charles Schwab has LMT rated a "A" stock. Although Av Week thinks the bloom is fading from the Aerospace stock picture. I don't know, but I do hold some LMT shares.

[Shawndell Green]

China. 'nuff said.

[RATkiller]

Bookmark

[Daaave]

"During the late 1980s, the Navy also briefly considered purchasing up to 550 examples of a navalized variant of the Air Force's Advanced Technology Fighter (ATF) as a potential F-14 replacement. However, the Navy lost interest before the EMD contract was awarded to Lockheed's F-22 Raptor, although a Lockheed proposal for such a design is illustrated below."

After rejecting the Lockheed proposed F-117N, and the A/F-117X, I consider rejecting a naval version of the F-22 as another wrong decision by the U.S. Navy.

[Yo-Yo]

The F/A-22 will be built. It's the F-35 that is on the chopping block. Pukin Dog said you could take it to the bank that the F-35 is toast, so I believe him. If the insiders also know the F-35 is toast, then that could be the motivation behind the rethinking of the F-22 purchase.

[Red6]

Despite the doom and gloom reports, all knew this would happen eventually.

Red6