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Top General Warns Against Ending F-22 Fighter
Reuters ^ | June 18, 2009

Posted on 06/18/2009 5:56:23 PM PDT by Fennie

WASHINGTON -- A top Air Force general, swerving from the Pentagon leadership, said ending production of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-22 Raptor fighter jet, as proposed by President Barack Obama, posed a high risk to U.S. ability to carry out its current military strategy.

"In my opinion, a fleet of 187 F-22s puts execution of our current national military strategy at high risk in the near-to mid-term," Gen. John Corley, head of the Air Combat Command, wrote in a June 9 letter to a senator.

"To my knowledge, there are no studies that demonstrate 187 F-22s are adequate to support our national military strategy," he added in the letter to Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Republican from Georgia, where the plane undergoes final assembly.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: af22; bho44; f22; f22raptor; gates; iran; iraq; israel; lockheed; military; obama; raptor
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1 posted on 06/18/2009 5:56:23 PM PDT by Fennie
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To: Fennie

Unfortunately the F-22 has become a political soccer ball to be kicked around at the expense of our national defense.

SZ


2 posted on 06/18/2009 5:57:22 PM PDT by SZonian (I'm a Canal Zone brat)
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To: SZonian

The House today restored funds. It ain’t going away, despite Obamaramadingdong


3 posted on 06/18/2009 6:04:27 PM PDT by pissant (THE Conservative party: www.falconparty.com)
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To: pissant

Against the newer Mig and Su models, I want a Raptor.


4 posted on 06/18/2009 6:11:57 PM PDT by ak267
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To: ak267

Anyone want to bet that Senator Dodd had a hand in this?


5 posted on 06/18/2009 6:14:52 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Climate change alarmists are Warm-Mongers. Now that's funny right there. I don't care who you are.)
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To: Fennie

The F-22 is the ONLY fighter aircraft that will be able to stand toe-to-toe with the PAK-FA and the J-xx and win in most cases.


6 posted on 06/18/2009 6:17:07 PM PDT by Thunder90
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To: Fennie
Wow, a General Officer actually fell on his sword for an important issue.

I'm impressed.

7 posted on 06/18/2009 6:29:24 PM PDT by SIDENET ("Join me or die. Can you do any less?" -Mr. Sparkle)
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To: SZonian

Unfortunately, the F-22 was in itself always a political decision. By almost every measure, the Northrop YF-23 was a far better design.


8 posted on 06/18/2009 8:49:03 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Socialism is the belief that most people are better off if everyone was equally poor and miserable.)
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To: SIDENET

OUTSTANDING!

I thought the USAF had weeded out any Generals with integrity - and I say that as a 25 yr USAF veteran!

It is fantastic to see a high ranking officer show some integrity and honor. Wish Gates wasn’t such a hopeless butt-boy...


9 posted on 06/18/2009 8:59:16 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

I knew a couple of YF-23 engineers - they told me the fly-off was pretty much a draw.

I had no involvement with it, so I have no first hand knowledge. But an F-22 that gets built would beat the hell out of a YF-23 that never will be built. Too late to go back and refight that fight...it is the F-22, or MAYBE some F-35s.


10 posted on 06/18/2009 9:01:24 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: SZonian

You can expect the F22 line item to be in next year’s defense budget when it reaches Obama’s desk for his signature. *snicker*


11 posted on 06/18/2009 9:30:45 PM PDT by Red Steel
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To: Fennie
Gen. John Corley, head of the Air Combat Command,

I guess General Corely will not be making Chief of Staff, or even Deputy Chief.

Nice to see *someone* fall their sword for the good of the country. Not enough of that happened during the late unlamented Southeast Asian War Games.

12 posted on 06/18/2009 9:43:44 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Blood of Tyrants

But we won’t be fighting YF-23’s. We’ll be fighting MiGs.


13 posted on 06/18/2009 9:46:48 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: pissant
The House today restored funds.

Good to hear that. Especially while Russia struggles to sell and maintain their hardware (Sikhoi less so than MiG)

Russian fighter jets worse than those of USA and Europe? - Pravda, May 25, 2009

Lockheed is still making money hand over fist on JSF F-35, but Raptors are essential.

Lockheed’s F-35 ‘Program Killer’ May Double Sales - BL, June 17. 2009


14 posted on 06/18/2009 9:53:53 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: Fennie
General Corely deserves to have his photo on this thread. So here it is:

From GENERAL JOHN D.W. CORLEY biography

Retiring effective Nov. 1, 2009.
...
General Corley entered the Air Force after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1973. He earned his wings at Reese AFB, Texas, in 1974. His aviation career includes more than 3,000 flying hours with combat experience. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. His staff positions comprise a mix of operational and joint duties in Tactical Air Command, Headquarters U.S. Air Force and the Joint Staff.

General Corley has significant experience in intense combat, most recently during Operation Enduring Freedom. As Combined Air Operations Center Director, he orchestrated more than 11,000 combat missions striking more than 4,700 targets, including 250 attacks against the Al Qaida and Taliban leadership. He directed the safe recovery of isolated personnel during the largest combat search and rescue mission in 50 years and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

Looks like what became the F-22 took up a significant portion of his career. He was chief analyst for the Advanced Tactical Fighter program at HQ USAF, back in the '86-'88 time frame.

He was commissioned the same year I was, although he's likely a year younger, since I took five years to get my BS in engineering (had 6 credits of ROTC hours that did not count towards graduation, and 12 grad credits upon graduation) they don't let you do that at the AF Academy, although they might send you to grad school after graduation and commissioning.

15 posted on 06/18/2009 9:56:59 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: Ramius
We’ll be fighting MiGs. Or worse, Sukhois.
16 posted on 06/18/2009 10:00:01 PM PDT by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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To: CutePuppy; pissant
S/b Sukhoi, not "Sikhoi" and corrected link to Pravda article - Russian fighter jets worse than those of USA and Europe? - Pravda, May 25, 2009
17 posted on 06/18/2009 10:08:08 PM PDT by CutePuppy (If you don't ask the right questions you may not get the right answers)
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To: Mr Rogers

From my understanding with people I talked with, the F-22 was stronger in manuverability while northrop’s YF-23 had overall stealth and speed in its favor. I believe that the top speed of the YF-23 with the GE engines developed for the competition is still classified.


18 posted on 06/19/2009 12:07:09 AM PDT by Always Independent
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To: Fennie

It just kills me that Obama is running around trying to claim some jobs “saved or created”. Why not stop cutting all defense programs and let them keep building and stockpiling the stuff and keep those (many union) jobs hopping. Beats the hell our of “green” jobs that are temporary at best and 40x more expensive per job.


19 posted on 06/19/2009 12:26:07 AM PDT by dannyboy72a (The President of the United States should not be selling me insurance)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
Unfortunately, the F-22 was in itself always a political decision. By almost every measure, the Northrop YF-23 was a far better design.

Thank GOD it lost! The YF-23 was the ugliest flying object I've ever seen... And yes, I am a very shallow person for whom appearance is everything.
20 posted on 06/19/2009 12:56:22 AM PDT by derllak
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