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Pentagon to end F-22 production
The Hill ^ | April 6, 2009 | Roxana Tiron

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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: 0bama; 0bamaisfailing; 65grendeldotcom; aerospace; agenda; airdominance; bho44; bhodod; defensespending; f22; gop2010; idiocracy; ignoranceisstrength; lockheedmartin; palin2012; raptor; rookie; secdefgates; usaf
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To: microgood
"I cannot believe they can't get the costs below this. Wow."

The 747/400 starts at $216 million, per http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/74633.

I'd rather fight a war with the F-22, wouldn't you?
361 posted on 04/06/2009 3:58:05 PM PDT by RightOnTheLeftCoast (1st call: Abbas. 1st interview: Al Arabiya. 1st energy decision: halt drilling in UT. Arabs 1st!)
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To: Professor_Leonide; darkwing104
I KNEW IT!



Good-bye and GOOD RIDDANCE "PROFESSOR"!!!
Thank you, Mods!
362 posted on 04/06/2009 3:58:14 PM PDT by LibertyRocks ( http://LibertyRocks.wordpress.com ~ ANTI-OBAMA STUFF : http://cafepress.com/NO_ObamaBiden08)
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To: Arrowhead1952

I saw that. Figured it would be the case. I was tardy to the post.


363 posted on 04/06/2009 3:58:29 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (I voted Republican because no Conservatives were running.)
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To: Professor_Leonide

>>Maybe the Air Force should be next on the chopping block. It would be poetic justice.<<

Army air corps? or troll? Time will tell.


364 posted on 04/06/2009 4:01:11 PM PDT by gondramB
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To: darkwing104

IATZ. *watches as the last sparks of the troll crackle and fade*


365 posted on 04/06/2009 4:04:46 PM PDT by darkangel82 (I don't have a superiority complex, I'm just better than you.)
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To: jazusamo

Those 70,000 laid off employees will have a future in Obamacorps, organizing communities after the Chicago model.


366 posted on 04/06/2009 4:05:26 PM PDT by behzinlea
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To: Professor_Leonide

It would be sheer idiocy.

We’re going to wish we had those F-22s when the Chinese make their military move.


367 posted on 04/06/2009 4:06:41 PM PDT by behzinlea
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To: darkwing104; Old Sarge
Ceiling Cat strikes again....



368 posted on 04/06/2009 4:07:43 PM PDT by GQuagmire (Who is EveningStar?)
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To: EGPWS

“...energy star compliant.”

LOL!


369 posted on 04/06/2009 4:09:55 PM PDT by Former War Criminal
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To: All; NinoFan

What a shame. I would think both sides in the “Fighter Wars” here could come to some kind of agreement... The following is for all those “FR Fighter War Fighters” LOL

Costs SHOULD be able to be decreased, especially after a few years when they start surpassing the cost of the machinery, parts production, labor, etc... Even with adjustments after they get it pretty much stable it should decrease in cost to keep building it. If it’s designed well enough it’s possible the planes can stay in service with upgrades for a long while, I would think.

Upgrades, Improvements, and repairs will keep everyone in business — especially our guys and gals in the sky!

Obama is trying to systematically dismantle our military. Let’s all address that FIRST, SAVE OUR MILITARY!

THEN, we can talk about ways to reduce costs. I’ll guarantee you this — keeping the country safe will ultimately outweigh the cost of the finest fighter jets you could buy, IMHO. Wars are WAY more expensive. And, besides, when you combine those reasons with the job angle, any other option seems ridiculous. I think our public would agree seeing we are AT WAR!

ALL JMHO... [Although, my husband is a precision/prototype machinist* so I’m a little familiar with some of these things from hearing his “shop talk” for 20 years! LOL]
* He’s not working in Aerospace right now though he’d love to have one of those jobs as he’s temporarily laid-off at the moment (Thanks Obama. My family really appreciates it! Many manufacturing companies like my husband’s employer cut the “fat” months ago... Now they’re cutting the “SOLID” employees!).


370 posted on 04/06/2009 4:12:40 PM PDT by LibertyRocks ( http://LibertyRocks.wordpress.com ~ ANTI-OBAMA STUFF : http://cafepress.com/NO_ObamaBiden08)
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To: jazusamo

“Air superiority over Russia and China.”

This does not require any more F-22’s than we have.

In fact, it doesn’t require any F-22’s to accomplish.


371 posted on 04/06/2009 4:15:10 PM PDT by RFEngineer
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To: RightOnTheLeftCoast
I'd rather fight a war with the F-22, wouldn't you?

It depends. The 747 could certainly deliver a lot more ordinance under current circumstances.

372 posted on 04/06/2009 4:15:55 PM PDT by Theophilus (The people who were going to buy your home got aborted 30 years ago.)
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To: Sleeping Freeper

I guess we can replace the “Nuke Me Now!”Adminejad picture with an Obama one.


373 posted on 04/06/2009 4:30:48 PM PDT by Uncle Meat
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To: jazusamo; All

Not acquiring more F-22 fighters is a mistake.

Canceling the program is a disaster. Our entire military strategy is based on air superiority. It is that simple.

If we don’t have air supremacy, we can’t use our helicopters.

If we don’t have air supremacy, we can’t use our AC130 Gunships

If we don’t have air supremacy, we can’t fly our tankers.

If we don’t have air supremacy, our men on the ground are sitting ducks for an enemy who DOES take air superiority seriously.

There are people who think that just because the last war or two has not had to involve the US clearing the skies of an enemy so we can operate in that dimension with impunity, then we will never have to fight a foe who will actually contest us in that area.

Two countries in particular who are antagonistic to us, Russia and China, both have the capability to wrest control of the air from us in the event of a conflict. We ignore that at our peril. I see bloodshed as a result of this. We are going to rue this day.

This is appalling.


374 posted on 04/06/2009 4:32:33 PM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
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To: Professor_Leonide
Even worse. I'm one of the most terrifying of all. A Marine, accused by some of being intelligent. The rest call me a coldblooded, homicidal sociopath, but they are trying to get on my good side.

I personally prefer that the Air Force do what they do far away from me, since they have NEVER stumbled on to the concept of close, accurate, tactical air support. There are too many "kick-the-tires-and-light-the-fires" jet jocks in the upper reaches of the Air Force and Pentagon, and all that anoxia makes them too eager to start wearing a silk scarf and go all fangs out.

375 posted on 04/06/2009 4:32:41 PM PDT by jonascord (Hey, we have the Constitution. What's to worry about?)
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To: jonascord
I personally prefer that the Air Force do what they do far away from me, since they have NEVER stumbled on to the concept of close, accurate, tactical air support.

I guess you never heard of the AC-130.


376 posted on 04/06/2009 4:35:49 PM PDT by darkwing104 (Lets get dangerous)
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To: jazusamo

“zero” promised to “save or create” 4,000,000 jobs -

However I guess he gets away with these jobs cutbacks in defense since he is supposedly “saving” money to pour into (waste) own his socialist pork programs....?


377 posted on 04/06/2009 4:37:29 PM PDT by VRWCTexan (History has a long memory - but still repeats itself)
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To: buccaneer81
This is how many Nimitz class carriers we could build with the first stimulus money bucket:

Staggering, eh? And that was simply the first $800 Billion.

378 posted on 04/06/2009 4:38:16 PM PDT by rlmorel ("The Road to Serfdom" by F.A.Hayek - Read it...today.)
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To: rlmorel

Well said, rlm.

Unfortunately there are too many who believe because we have air superiority now it will be that way forever. Russia and China are not going to be sitting on their hands, they’re going to go after that superiority.


379 posted on 04/06/2009 4:42:34 PM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

Not to worry we have plenty of money for pork, free medical for illegals, millions for acorn etc..This is the priority of the left. I am of a mind to allow this country to be conquered so the conquerors can shoot all these losers first.


380 posted on 04/06/2009 4:44:35 PM PDT by Cacique (quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat ( Islamia Delenda Est ))
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