Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Big-ticket F-22 Raptor jet fighter has never seen battle
Anchorage Daily News ^ | August 13th, 2011 | W.J. HENNIGAN

Posted on 08/14/2011 11:58:36 AM PDT by skeptoid

It's the most expensive fighter jet ever built. Yet the F-22 Raptor has never seen a day of combat, and its future is clouded by a government safety investigation that has grounded the jet for months. The fleet of 158 F-22s, including those in Alaska, has been sidelined since May 3 after more than a dozen incidents in which oxygen was cut off to pilots, making them woozy. The malfunction is suspected of contributing to at least one fatal accident, in Alaska. At an estimated cost of $412 million each, the F-22s amount to about $65 billion sitting on the tarmac. The grounding is the latest dark chapter for an aircraft plagued by problems and whose need was called into question even before its first test flight.

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: aerospace; defense; defensespending; f22; usaf
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-119 next last
To: rlmorel; All
Plus the enemy will develop new technologies also..

Plus nuclear weapons kept everyone at bay also.

I think you are right.. I think most of major casualties happen during the first years of the year where we had 1 aircraft carrier left... It was until later on in the war where our military capacity was at full strength..
61 posted on 08/14/2011 3:28:46 PM PDT by KevinDavis (What has Ron Paul done in Congress??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: Always Independent

Right...now, I know the F-22 does have faults, and it is galling that the main fault right now is the DAMNED OXYGEN SYSTEM!

But to make that statement in the name of the article seemed beyond stupid to me.


62 posted on 08/14/2011 3:30:21 PM PDT by rlmorel ("When marching down the same road, one doesn't need 'marching orders' to reach the same destination")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: skeptoid

Didn’t I just read off Drudge late last week that all LockheedMartin Stealth Fighters (F22 and F35) are presently grounded.

Should have gone with McDonnell Douglas (F22) and Boeing (F35)?


63 posted on 08/14/2011 3:53:27 PM PDT by R0CK3T
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JimC214

To be historically accurate, a Leopard 2 would not be toast against an M1. The Leopard is arguably a better platform as we often found during war games with 1st panzer.............


64 posted on 08/14/2011 4:01:54 PM PDT by kneehurts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
DAMNED auto spell checking.

I liked "medieval" as in "Lets get all medieval on their @$$".

Medevac is important too.

Regards,
GtG

65 posted on 08/14/2011 4:10:35 PM PDT by Gandalf_The_Gray (I live in my own little world, I like it 'cuz they know me here.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: Java4Jay

“Corrosion is a big issue; it wasn’t addressed properly during design. Plus the aircraft is just too dang expensive. Remember the Sherman vs. the Tiger? Mass produced cheaper weapons will win the war.”

Cheap Mass production only works if you have an insurmountable numerical advantage.

The Sherman was a terrible tank, but your right if you got enough of em you can win. Of course the same is true of sticks and stones a terrible weapon compared to a gun, but you got enough people welding them sticks & stones and you can overwhelm a numerically vastly inferior gun welding opponent.

China out numbers us 5 to 1, where as in World war 2 we out numbered the Germans and Japanese.


66 posted on 08/14/2011 4:19:04 PM PDT by Monorprise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Day 45 and the Freepathon is still on. Please donate today.
Click it.

67 posted on 08/14/2011 4:31:03 PM PDT by RedMDer (Abolish FReepathons. Be a monthly donor.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: skeptoid

The best weapon is one that is so scary no fool ever messes with you.


68 posted on 08/14/2011 4:36:30 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (The same old games being played by the same old crowd in the formerly grand old party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel

http://www.dakotavoice.com/2010/06/f-22-slaughters-f-16-in-war-games/

“The F-16s still manage to make some kills even against the futuristic Raptor.”

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-8620.html

“The 57th Adversary Tactics Group undertook some interesting tactics not contained in the overall [scripted] intelligence scenario. These involved surprise threats, generally Red Air [enemy] fighters, entering the air battle unexpectedly. White Force [exercise control] staff would confirm that the threat was Red and Blue Air [the “good guys”] had to react. The tactic worked. An F-16C pilot assigned to the 64th Aggressor Squadron gained the first-ever F-22 kill in Red Flag. [94th commander] Lt. Col. Dirk Smith told AFM: “At least half of the 94th FS crews had less than 50 hours in the F-22 and no matter how magical the F-22, any pilot can make a mistake. The beauty of Red Flag is that we were able to go out and practice our tactics in a challenging scenario, make a mistake, learn a lesson, and be that much better prepared for actual combat.”


69 posted on 08/14/2011 4:47:05 PM PDT by freedomwarrior998
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Gandalf_The_Gray

Heh, actually, that is what I thought too, when I first read the error!


70 posted on 08/14/2011 4:55:57 PM PDT by rlmorel ("When marching down the same road, one doesn't need 'marching orders' to reach the same destination")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: skeptoid

I have seen those monster fans in repair garages they save a lot of money on hvac.


71 posted on 08/14/2011 4:58:21 PM PDT by omega4179 (Obama Downgrade)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: skeptoid
where would he have it see action??? in all fairness, it IS an air superiority fighter and not a bomb truck...
72 posted on 08/14/2011 5:07:17 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedomwarrior998
"...The 57th Adversary Tactics Group undertook some interesting tactics not contained in the overall [scripted] intelligence scenario..."

Heh, basically, they went outside the parameters...that USUALLY works really well, because everyone else involved has walled off certain scenarios...kind of like in real life as in "What are you talkin' about? THAT will never happen here..."

HESSIANS AND BRITISH AT TRENTON: "The Colonials won't attack. The weather is too poor, and it is the week between Christmas and New Years..."

UNION GENERAL JOHN SEDGEWICK AT SPOTSYLVANIA: "They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."

AMERICAN ADMIRALS AT PEARL HARBOR: "Eh. The Japanese wouldn't attack us there. Harbor is too shallow, too well defended...they would have to sail half way across the Pacific..."

HO CHI MINH 1972: "Nixon will never mine or attack Haiphong Harbor. Too many foreign ships at risk."

73 posted on 08/14/2011 5:14:40 PM PDT by rlmorel ("When marching down the same road, one doesn't need 'marching orders' to reach the same destination")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: Chode

The author is just a liberal dufus making fallacious assertions...:)


74 posted on 08/14/2011 5:16:16 PM PDT by rlmorel ("When marching down the same road, one doesn't need 'marching orders' to reach the same destination")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: skeptoid
Are those in fact HUGE ten bladed ceiling fans in the overhead?

Those are spare Osprey rotors.

JK. Check out The Big Ass Fan Company. Click on the "Powerfoil X" tab.

75 posted on 08/14/2011 5:22:43 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
where would he have it see action??? ahh yes... you know me, i never let a little thing like reading the article before posting get in my way 8^)
76 posted on 08/14/2011 5:31:54 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: rlmorel
almost everybody... 8^)

77 posted on 08/14/2011 5:36:14 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: American in Israel

You are welcome...


78 posted on 08/14/2011 6:14:40 PM PDT by rlmorel ("When marching down the same road, one doesn't need 'marching orders' to reach the same destination")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Chode
LOL...like Rooster Cogburn talking to the Texas Ranger: "If ever I meet one of you Texas waddies who ain't drunk water from a hoofprint, I think I'll... I'll shake their hand or buy 'em a Daniel Webster cigar.

I am sure there WAS a Texas Ranger somewhere who DID drink from a hooprint!

79 posted on 08/14/2011 6:18:26 PM PDT by rlmorel ("When marching down the same road, one doesn't need 'marching orders' to reach the same destination")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: Former Proud Canadian

Big Kelly Johnson fan...

But the F 104 IIRC never flew a combat mission either. Of course, it had a very specialized mission and wasn’t down in the weeds dropping napalm on the Cong.


80 posted on 08/14/2011 6:21:27 PM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-119 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson