Posted on 06/01/2009 4:51:10 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) - The Senate Appropriations Committee's defense subcommittee is considering requiring the U.S. Air Force to study the viability of creating an export version of the Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-22 fighter jet, a source closely following the issue told Reuters on Monday.
"There may be language inserted into the fiscal 2010 appropriations bill that would at least look at the possibility," said the source, who asked not to be identified since the legislative language is still being finalized.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates in April said the Pentagon would halt production of the radar-evading F-22 fighter at 187 airplanes, after ordering four more aircraft in fiscal 2009 that ends Sept. 30.
Japan for years has expressed interest in buying two squadrons of its own F-22s, which could translate into orders of 40 to 60 more airplanes for Lockheed, said defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute.
Foreign sales of the F-22 fighter are banned under an amendment by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey that was passed in 1998, but recent North Korean missile launches and continued interest by Japan in buying the F-22 may be softening congressional opposition, particularly since the Lockheed production line is now nearing a shutdown.
Some lawmakers are concerned about the loss of tens of thousands of jobs, and are considering adding funding for additional F-22s to the Pentagon's fiscal 2010 budget request to keep the line running a little longer -- possibly as a "bridge" to an export version.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
hey Australia want them too. We dont want the JSF, we want the f-22 but JSF is the only choice :(
65 years ago , we couldn’t build enough planes to bomb the Japanese off their power trip.
Time to sell some advanced warplanes to the Japanese who seek to defend themselves from old enemies alongside new allies, once bitter adversaries.
Heck Yeah. It’s about jobs, right?
I hear ya, there are two camps when it comes to the latest greatest warplane technology.
I admit my prejudice and for personal reasons. I am no warmonger but who better to build and buy those weapons that keep us safe at home.
Wonderful.
Faster, please.
(Oh, and sell them to Israel, too. Not that Hussein would do that.)
I trust whoever is leading Japan over Obama.
However, I agree that the political climate has changed. Our allies may now recognize that they are on their own, and they will make the changes necessary to have the finest weapons available. Also, I've been surprised by the nasty internal AF chatter about the F-22’s issues with up time, cost, maintenance, etc.
I think I'd prefer to keep the Lockheed assembly line going, if Japan can address their security issues.
Not half as deeply as ours has been...
“I think I’d prefer to keep the Lockheed assembly line going, if Japan can address their security issues. “
our own R&D and production lines are HEAVILY infiltrated by the Chinese.
Who would want the JSF that over done turkey when the F-22 can be had.
The F-35 is already a boondoggle and not yet in IOC, yet the F-22 is already in production and active service, so the big bird goes first.
Nothing makes sense Here they have something that will give our pilots a fighting chance to prevail But yet this flying version of the Swiss Army knife is still being worked on! How in the Hell did we ever forget this much of aircraft design?
Obama cant see the use for them, unless of course he can sell them to line his pockets.
When aircraft design became a political who's who on which pockets get filled instead of something to do with flying. We have become a turd world country politicaly.
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