Good-bye and GOOD RIDDANCE "PROFESSOR"!!!
Thank you, Mods!
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.
I saw that. Figured it would be the case. I was tardy to the post.
>>Maybe the Air Force should be next on the chopping block. It would be poetic justice.<<
Army air corps? or troll? Time will tell.
IATZ. *watches as the last sparks of the troll crackle and fade*
Those 70,000 laid off employees will have a future in Obamacorps, organizing communities after the Chicago model.
It would be sheer idiocy.
We’re going to wish we had those F-22s when the Chinese make their military move.
“...energy star compliant.”
LOL!
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!).
“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.
It depends. The 747 could certainly deliver a lot more ordinance under current circumstances.
I guess we can replace the “Nuke Me Now!”Adminejad picture with an Obama one.
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.
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.
I guess you never heard of the AC-130.
“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....?
Staggering, eh? And that was simply the first $800 Billion.
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.
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.
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