[straps]

Dear Bobalu You are wrong fighters never stay in service longer than 4-6 years max. The f15,16 are the only 2 disenters.
The F22 is a waste of money . We could buy 4 F35s for the price of 1 F22. Stop at 1 wing period. Then equip the balance with F35

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Really? The F-4 was last built by Boeing in 1981 and there are still many in service around the world. I think Japan has 30 or so still in operation and I know Germany just as many in their air force.

Let’s see, that 27 years minimum for the F-4 to be in service. I could go to Jane’s and find more planes that are in service more than 4 to 6 years max.

[PJammers]

4 to 6 years service for fighters????

When I joined the USAF in 1981 I worked on F-4’s that were built in 1964/5. The F-15 A/B models were built in the early 70’s along with the early F-16’s. I believe the last strike eagle rolled off the line in 1995. The F-117 was built in the early 80’s.

I’m with Bobalu here. 15 to 20 years is more like it. Also the F-22 and the JSF-35 are different weapons platforms that perform different missions.

The JSF-35 is available to other countries the F-22, however, is not. Because the F-22 is not being produced in higher numbers it is more costly per aircraft to produce.

[Paul Ross]

You are wrong fighters never stay in service longer than 4-6 years max.

Wrong. There are a whole raft of fighters kept far longer...I could mention the F-4 but let's point you to the F-14...which dates from the same time line. And that was a NAVAL fighter which took a hell of a lot of pounding from launching and landing, and salt sea air. Yet they were only just retired over the last two years.

The f15,16 are the only 2 disenters.

Wrong. See above, and other's commentary.

The F22 is a waste of money .

No. Bailing out Bear Stearns, and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae was a "waste of money." We should have let capitalism work. But we do need the Government to buy these fighters for our defense. And it would be a waste NOT TO BUILD, as the R&D then goes without any utility to the taxpayer. No defensive planes for the money. As the article indicates...we don't have enough capability without them. That is why they designed in the first place...not to make Lockheed money.

The F-15s, as wonderful as they have been, have remained essentially static in capabilities, whereas the world, and the Russians have been catching up...and the F-15s are already losing to the Su-33, as the Indian exercises proved.

We could buy 4 F35s for the price of 1 F22. Stop at 1 wing period. Then equip the balance with F35

Wrong. First, be aware of the F-22 unit cost, as per Wikipedia:

Unit cost US$137.5 million (2008 flyaway cost)

Contrast that with the Unit cost of the F-35 from Wikipedia:

Unit cost US$83 million

And we really don't know what they will actually wind up costing. Might be a LOT more than advertized. And you should note: The F-35s are built using F-22 R&D. Subtract the "F-22" R&D from the cost of the F-22 it would be almost as cheap as the F-35. Or why not add the cost of the R&D onto the F-35...then it would definitely cost a lot more than the F-22.

Anyways, it is clearly nuts to think that the F-16 replacement F-35 can do what the F-22 can.

[2CAVTrooper]

“Dear Bobalu You are wrong fighters never stay in service longer than 4-6 years”

The F-4 Phantom was produced from 1958 until 1981 with 5,195 aircraft built. There are still well over 500 aircraft in service.

The F-4 first entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1960. In 1987, the last Naval Reserve F-4’s were replaced, and the last F-4’s in Navy service (QF-4 drones) were finally retired in 2004.....44 years (27 active)

The F-4 entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps in June 1962, and the last were retired in January 1992....30 years.

The F-4 entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1963, and the last operational flight was in 1996. The F-4 is currently still in use with the Air Force as the QF-4, and is expected to see operations until 2014.... a projected 51 years (36 active).

The F-14 entered service in 1974, and was retired in 2006 after 32 years.

The F-111 entered service in 1967, and the last ones were retired from U.S. service in 1998. Australia is still flying the F-111 and will retire them in 2010 after 27 years of service.

The F/A-18C/D are over 20 years old and is still in service.

Then there are other aircraft such as the Mig-21 which first entered service in 1959 and is still in service in vast numbers.

If anything has been a waste of money, it’s proving to be the F-35.

And no, you can’t buy 4 F-35’s for the cost of 1 F-22 even if the F-35 still cost the $80 million as promised it would be impossible.....Heck you couldn’t even buy 2 F-35’s for the cost of 1 Raptor.