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2,000 Marietta Lockheed jobs tied to plane's fate (F-22 Raptor)
AJC ^ | March 10, 2008 | DAVID MARKIEWICZ

Posted on 03/11/2008 10:51:04 AM PDT by bamahead

The Marietta-built F-22 Raptor is capable of amazing feats.

It can cruise at 1,100 miles an hour, soar to 60,000 feet, and destroy air and ground targets with ease, all while staying virtually undetectable to radar.

It is a technogeek's dream, a unique blend of speed, stealth and maneuverability designed to make pilots swoon and enemies duck and cover.

The question is: Can the Raptor fight off an even fiercer foe — a budget-conscious Defense Department that wants to cap Raptor production at 187 planes?

In Cobb County, especially, there is keen interest in the answer. Lockheed Martin's giant plant in Marietta assembles the plane, and roughly 2,000 of the facility's 7,000 jobs are tied to its production. Without new funding, the project will start ramping down at the end of 2008 and wrap up by 2011.

Should that happen, the company says, jobs "would be lost."

Lockheed, said Cobb County Chamber of Commerce Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Don Beaver, "is a strategic asset for our country, a treasure for Georgia because of the multi-million-dollar contracts that are shared by vendors throughout the state, and a stalwart in the county since the plant was built. Lockheed's been more than just jobs, they've been part of the fabric of this community forever."

The debate has pitted the Pentagon on one side against the Air Force and members of Congress on the other.

Originally, plans called for several hundred Raptors to be built, but over the years the number was whittled amid cost concerns and changing priorities.

In December, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for Raptor production funding to stop at 187 planes.

Recently, the Air Force suggested 380 would be more like it.

(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: defense; f22; lockheed
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I live about 5 miles from Dobbins AFB and the Lockheed plant. Love to see the shiny new F-22's fly over on their shakedown cruises! It will hit the area pretty hard if the order isn't increased.

I think we need the plane. F-16's and F-18A's are looking pretty dated. This plane will fly for the next 20+ years. Plus, we'd be hamstrung with only ~180 if China and the USSR ever start acting like real Commies again.

1 posted on 03/11/2008 10:51:07 AM PDT by bamahead
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To: bamahead

“I think we need the plane. F-16’s and F-18A’s are looking pretty dated.”

Well my understanding is the F-22 is an Air Force-only plane. The F35 Lightning II will the plane the is the “one size fits all” plane for the Navy, Air force and Marines.


2 posted on 03/11/2008 10:55:18 AM PDT by Slapshot68
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To: bamahead

Agreed - we better have something to replace the F-16s.


3 posted on 03/11/2008 10:55:33 AM PDT by CWW (Make the most of the loss, and regroup for 2008!!)
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To: bamahead

You don’t make defense hardware decisions based on jobs won or lost. You make them based on the resources needed to carry out the projected mission(s). Stopping production short would appear unwise based on the latter. Want to save some money? Look at entitlements.


4 posted on 03/11/2008 10:58:53 AM PDT by Prince Caspian (Don't ask if it's risky... Ask if the reward is worth the risk)
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To: bamahead

Caping this production at 188 planes is idiotic beyond belief. The major cost of these planes is the development stage. As more plane are produced, the overall cost of each plane is reduced. Cutting the production run at 188 planes (or thereabouts) would simply mean each plane cost more to make, and would leave us with a drastic shortfall when push came to shove.

It takes something like a decade or more to bring new planes from the drawing board to reality. If we capped out at 188 planes here, we would be limiting ourselves for more than a decade to come. That would be very unwise IMO.


5 posted on 03/11/2008 11:00:43 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Some think McCain should pick his No 2 now. I thought the nominee was No 2. And that No 1s me off!)
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To: bamahead

Well, I think the F22 was a replacement for the F15, a plane that was recently grounded for possible structural problems.(they have since been giving the green light) A plane is only suppose fly so many hours and with an on going WOT many of the planes are pass their shelf life. That’s why they need more F22s. F35s will replace the F16 and several other planes. But I hope they can at least get the F22 numbers up north of 250.


6 posted on 03/11/2008 11:01:49 AM PDT by jbwbubba
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To: DoughtyOne
Caping this production at 188 planes is idiotic beyond belief

Doughty, watch your blood pressure (and your spelling). This F22 thingie is only an interim measure to get us to the F35II. Now let's see, we should be able to afford about 6 of those!

That's when we really should get excited. But I am not worried. President Algonquin J. Obama will be able to sweet-talk any potential enemies we might have into instant cooperation. In fact, we won't even need armed forces at all.

Say, I wonder if the CHICOM know the words to "Koom-By-Ah My Lord, Koom-By-Ah?"

7 posted on 03/11/2008 11:07:33 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Nobama08. Get me a general for President and Steele or Blackwell for VP.)
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To: bamahead

187 F-22s? There’s no way they’ll be enough to replace the what? 800 or so F-15 and 1,000 or so F-16s in service.


8 posted on 03/11/2008 11:08:25 AM PDT by PeterFinn (I am not voting for McCain. No way, no how.)
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To: Kenny Bunk

LOL, I’m feeling better already...


9 posted on 03/11/2008 11:13:42 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Some think McCain should pick his No 2 now. I thought the nominee was No 2. And that No 1s me off!)
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To: DoughtyOne; bamahead
Caping this production at 188 planes is idiotic

Agreed...If the F-15 is replaced by the F-22 in the ANG units that protect the homeland it will require an additional 96 planes, I believe that should be done.

10 posted on 03/11/2008 11:14:12 AM PDT by jazusamo (DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
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To: Kenny Bunk

Do you believe the F35 II is a better plane?

There are some things I like about it, but there are also some things I don’t like about it.


11 posted on 03/11/2008 11:17:46 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Some think McCain should pick his No 2 now. I thought the nominee was No 2. And that No 1s me off!)
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To: jazusamo

Thanks.


12 posted on 03/11/2008 11:19:16 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Some think McCain should pick his No 2 now. I thought the nominee was No 2. And that No 1s me off!)
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To: PeterFinn

Those F 22s and F35s are just the front lines, those 800 F 15s and 1,000 F 16s will be around for decades while they work the kinks out of the F22 and F 35. The older iron are still among the most capable airplanes the world has ever seen.

Think thin black line of B-1s and B-2s, backed up by a couple hundred B-52’s, which have been in service since when, 1917 or so? Literally the grandchildren of the original pilots are flying them today!


13 posted on 03/11/2008 11:24:20 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Nobama08. Get me a general for President and Steele or Blackwell for VP.)
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To: bamahead
The government can keep all the Slush Security I have paid in, if they will put it in the pot for an F22.

We need 1000 of these incredible birds.

14 posted on 03/11/2008 11:26:20 AM PDT by FreeAtlanta (Search for Folding Project - Join FR Team 36120)
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To: DoughtyOne
Do you believe the F35 II is a better plane?

Well, it's an OK plane, but as an AD-1 man and former crop-duster, I do not trust anything without a propeller. Plus, I understand these young fellows plan on flying around in them at night ... and in bad weather. Too scary for me, dude!

Plus, at 1100 mph at 60,000ft, how do you navigate? You can't see roads or RR tracks, or painted signs from up there. These kids today!

15 posted on 03/11/2008 11:30:06 AM PDT by Kenny Bunk (Nobama08. Get me a general for President and Steele or Blackwell for VP.)
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To: Kenny Bunk

The B-52 is projected to stay in service through at least 2040 when most of the airframes will be at least 80 years old.


16 posted on 03/11/2008 11:33:24 AM PDT by PeterFinn (I am not voting for McCain. No way, no how.)
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To: Kenny Bunk

LOL


17 posted on 03/11/2008 11:35:51 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Some think McCain should pick his No 2 now. I thought the nominee was No 2. And that No 1s me off!)
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To: jbwbubba

Think about the number of planes in terms of states. 180 planes is 3.6 planes per state. 250 would be 5 per state. Either way that’s hardly huge numbers.


18 posted on 03/11/2008 11:50:29 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man
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To: jbwbubba

Think about the number of planes in terms of states. 180 planes is 3.6 planes per state. 250 would be 5 per state. Either way that’s hardly huge numbers.


19 posted on 03/11/2008 11:51:36 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man
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To: Kenny Bunk

They still have this stored at D-M for a last line of defense.

20 posted on 03/11/2008 11:51:57 AM PDT by BurbankKarl
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