Posted on 09/23/2014 9:47:43 AM PDT by Rufus2007
President Barack Obama dismissed the F-22 fighter jets used during Monday’s airstrikes against terrorist targets in Syria as “outdated and unnecessary” in a speech on July 21, 2009.
“I reject the notion that we have to waste billions of taxpayer dollars on outdated and unnecessary defense projects to keep this nation secure” Obama said. "That's why I'm grateful that the Senate just voted against an additional $1.75 billion to buy F-22 fighter jets that military experts and members of both parties say we do not need.”
...more (w/video)...
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Obama, IIRC, has dumped a lot of our ranking commanders and replaced them, if he created an echo chamber, our military is in a mess.
Time to get rid of this outdated pResident.
I think a few thousand F/A-18s in various configurations would be sufficient. Modified avionics, RADAR, etc., would keep this aircraft a formidable weapon and it’s proven itself to be highly reliable and capable in all scenarios.
THE_TREASON_NEVER_STOPS_PING!
When it’s to their advantage, Liberals always take credit for the success of weapons systems that they opposed.
You need the F-22 to shoot down CHICOMS and maybe others sometime in the future.
Stingers at heat seekers, and the F-22 -optimized as a fighter, not a bomber or light strike platform) throws a significantly higher IR signature than the B-2 or F-117 from many aspects. While it does wear IR-difussing paint, from the rear it’s certainly as high as an F-16 or F-15.
The biggest costs for fighter type aircraft are development costs, electronics and engines.
Many of the F-35 systems will be retrofitted to existing aircraft, but they won’t come cheap.
A new production F-18 or F-15 with an updated F-35 style electronics package is about as expensive as an F-35. The new systems just cost a ton of money
For example, the costs for a Euro Fighter Typhoon are in the range of $159 million a plane.
To add: some F-16s are wearing the IR diffusing paint (Have Glass), mostly the ones based at Spangdahlem AFB.
......the troubling part of what you say though is that the French and Germans, in war games against the US, have shot the plane down several times. I repeat, “THE FRENCH”!!!
Now, it could be pilot error, or a fluke or whatever but it is real and it did happen and even top of the line fighter pilots (American) say it DID happen and it was a legit one on one fight (artificial). And, they have the tapes to prove it.
So, have we paid 143 million dollars for a plane that’s a fraud? That’s the question.
I am not qualified to be the judge and make that call but I can damn sure ask the question as I send off a check this very minute for yet another 5 grand to government!!!!
We may well need F-22s as the countermeasure to Turkish F-35s in the future.
I’m guessing the F-22s were used for two reasons:
First, to start giving Raptor pilots combat time. Which is pretty important these days in moving up the promotion ladder.
Second, to see how well it integrated in real world scenarios. Red Flag can only go so far. And Syria apparantly has one of the best air defense networks on the planet.
I really don’t see sending Raptors as a big deal.
Are we bombing the Syrian government?
F-15s routinely get “shot down” in exercises. But in nearly 40 years of operational service, iirc not a single one has ever been lost in air to air combat.
Yeah, if taking off or on landing approach.
But the same would be true of the F22.
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.