Posted on 04/06/2009 10:52:31 AM PDT by jazusamo
In a blow to Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon has decided to purchase to end funding of the F-22 fighter jet.
The decision by Defense Secretary Robert Gates will rouse widespread opposition in Congress and is likely to bog down the 2010 budget approval process, with F-22 supporters maneuvering to secure more money.
The Pentagon will fund four of the radar-evading stealth fighters in the upcoming 2009 emergency war-spending request, but those additional aircraft will do little to keep the production line in Marietta, Ga., open beyond 2011. Lockheed Martin is the main contractor for the F-22, each of which costs about $140 million.
Gates announced the decision at a press conference on the Defense budget on Monday afternoon.
No money will be requested in the fiscal 2010 budget, congressional and industry sources familiar with the budget briefings told The Hill. Gates has been making calls to the chairmen of the congressional defense committees.
The final F-22 of the 183 currently on order will be delivered at the end of 2011. Building another four would keep the line open for only a few months beyond that end date.
Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors, including Boeing, in recent weeks have stepped up their campaign to keep the production line open. They argue that 25,000 people work directly for the 1,000 suppliers of the F-22 in 44 states, and another 70,000 indirectly owe their jobs to this program.
No union and not much love for BO where my husband works.
Is that sarcasm? It's the premier fighter in the world today and will be for many years.
Dan Patrick, a Texas State Legislator, was in DC this last weekend.
He said: “There are no foreclosure signs in DC.”
From what I've seen here at Hill AFB it is so far beyond every other current fighter that they need to put up six F-16s against one F-22 just to make it fair! It is definitely one of the most impressive aircraft in terms of flight demos that I've ever seen. It seems to defy the laws of physics at times.
I wonder if the Libs in Congress would even allow the option of foreign sales of the F-22 to our closest allies as a way to keep the production line operating past 2011? It would be nice to have the capability of scaling up production should we have a future threat, or an administration who actually wants to defend our country.
You're right. It is much more. And considering how long we use our airplanes (decades) and the number of lives that depend upon them, I think the F-22 is a bargain.
It's a pity that some are so short sighted, so misinformed, as well as being innocent of intellect and common sense, and yet they are the ones who decide our fate as well as the fatalities of those whose lives depend upon their decisions.
A billion ain’t what it used to be.....
Speaking of crack, put the pipe down and step away slowly.
You’re going to find a lot of F-22 haters on FR who will cheer this decision despite the fact that it’s part of a much larger change in focus that they might not even agree with. The fighter wars here get crazy.
The F-22, like the B-2 batwing bomber, may be the plane it was cracked up to be, but it won’t be able to do the jobs planned for it for long. Radar and other detection systems aren’t static; I’ve read some about Aussie JORN radars that get a reading on the turbulent air behind the plane, for instance. And Remote Piloting looks to be able to soon relegate many stand-off “weapons platforms” like the F-22 and B-2 to standby duty, and ready reserve.
“I cannot believe they can’t get the costs below this. Wow.”
$140 million is a bunch but the F-22 is no ordinary Fighter. It cannot be compared to ANY fighter before it. If you “cannot believe” the cost - you should get more informed about it’s capabilities and weapons delivery advancements.
Another key point is the fewer produced - obviously the more each one costs. IMO - we should have more F-22’s than any bird in the fleet. But that’s just my silly opinion.
Oboy the Kenyan doesn’t care about my opinion, now does he?
Many in the military are wanting a push for the F-35
I agree and though I've supported Gates I believe he should have gone to the wall on this.
Yeah, I’d like to see the back-up to that claim also, along with an alternative replacement you may have in mind.
Not nearly as pricey as the space shuttles (not that I'm complaining; I wish we had 10 of them.) But to build a shuttle today would take at least $8 billion (Endeavour cost $5 billion in 1991.)
Marked.
I cannot believe they can't get the costs below this. Wow.”
Yes on a production run no less What the hell do they make it out of ? OR the ugly “U” word is heavily involved.
I disagree. He is destroying it in one fell swoop.
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