[BikerJoe]

What does the atomic bomb have to do with it?

The atomic bomb has EVERYTHING to do with it. Programs like the F22 cost a lot because people are being asked to do things that haven't been done before. It's damn difficult to predict cost under those conditions. While I'll give you the corrosion and weak airframe problems on the F22, you're ignoring the fact that the radar has turned out so well that we're continually developing new things that can be done with it.

If you are so concerned about cost abuse, then the answer is COMPETITION. OOPS, the friggin' DoD ENCOURAGED companies to merge in the '90s, getting us down to what we have now. There's that pesky governmental policy problem again...

Your C-130J example couldn't possibly double in cost overnight. If the government was so freakin' concerned, they could've put in the oversight as soon as higher numbers started coming in. Did they?

Trust me friend, it ain't all Lockheed's fault. There's PLENTY of blame to go around and a lot of it lies with the government.

P.S. As to the corrosion problems on the F22, for cryin' out loud, the Air Force used to have environmental chambers to freeze and bake and hose down aircraft of all kinds. Don't they do that anymore?

[2CAVTrooper]

“Programs like the F22 cost a lot because people are being asked to do things that haven’t been done before.”

What do you mean do things that havn’t been done before?

Long before the F22 came around airplanes flew, airplanes could shoot at eachother, radar has been around since before we entered WW2, stealth has been around since the late 60’s early 70’s.....So what things havn’t been done before?

How is it difficult to predict costs under those conditions when fixed cost contracts worked well up until the mid to late 80’s?

Ok, so the radar works, but why are they STILL developing it when it’s already in active service? ALL of the development should have been finished before the first production aircraft was signed over to the Airforce. Any further developments can be added to the fleet either on the production lines with each new block number, or during depot level maintenance like the F15’s MSIP I and II upgrades.

It is all Lockheed’s fault since they’re the ones offering kickbacks to the criminals up on the Hill as well as offering military officers and DOD civilians lucrative jobs for when they “retire”.

And yes the Airforce has those environmental test chambers, and so doesn’t Lockheed Martin.