Posted on 03/08/2024 4:30:59 AM PST by Fish Speaker
WASHINGTON — Much attention has been paid to the Air Force’s plans to junk an older group of F-22 Raptor jets, but newer, more combat-capable versions of the stealth fighter are the service’s “highest priority” for a near-term fight, according to a senior official.
Speaking at the McAleese Defense Programs conference today, Air Force acquisition boss Andrew Hunter called the F-22 the “foundation” of the service’s airpower amid a larger effort to “reoptimize” for competition with China, noting that the jet will serve a vital role until its successor, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, comes online.
“F-22 is a critical capability,” Hunter said. “So what’s my highest priority in the near term for that great power competition? I’d probably put F-22 at the top.”
In its fiscal 2024 budget request, the Air Force moved to junk 32 older F-22s in a configuration known as Block 20, arguing that money to modernize those jets would be better spent on NGAD. But Congress blocked that move, forcing the service to continue their upkeep. Hunter’s comments today are likely a preview of what the service will ask for regarding the Raptor in its upcoming FY25 budget request.
Hunter said that Air Force officials will engage Congress on “some” F-22s that aren’t prepared for combat, and appeared to suggest that funding could be used instead to modernize other Raptors in the fleet. Air Force officials have previously said that funds freed up by divesting Block 20 fighters would be spent directly on NGAD.
Speaking later in the day, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin explained that the service is currently focused on keeping certain F-22s “viable and relevant against the threat until Next Generation Air Dominance” arrives.
(Excerpt) Read more at breakingdefense.com ...
Yeah, well NGAD is black. So maybe the Russian and Chinese know what it is, but the public and politicians you are appealing to aren't allowed to have a clue what you are doing.
It’s better to have more f22s now than a hypothetical jet that might end up getting canceled. Besides, Russia and China aren’t going to wait for the new plane to be fielded- they would attack first.
Historians may deem this USAF period as the Cognitive Dissonance Era, requiring planners and explainers to decree two arguments that cannot possibly both be true, to be critical policy and the best plan forward.
China owns the F22 data, may have shared plans from spies.
But they still can’t defeat it with their production bureaucracy. If they can, let’s spend a trillion on the next two Generations of FTRs, instead of Climate Insanity and EV manufacturing suicide.
Why not sign them over to the Air National Guard?
As sign of how old I am getting I was kind of shocked that their was a new fighter in the works, near term.
But there are only 187 of the F22’s produced, I can’t tell you how many have been lost to accidents, but I am thinking at least 2.
I don’t see how they can afford to side line any.
I had to look up that the F22 went in to service in 2005, nearly 20 years ago.
The F22 was an unnecessary program from the start. Our current array of fighters have plenty of years left on them and they’re plenty capable against all of our potential adversaries, none of which can approach our Defense spending. The idea that we needed a next-generation dogfighter with a pilot’s seat inside of it was an ego-driven decision by the Air Force brass. That said, the decision to shut the program down early was even more short sighted and ego-driven.
The F35 program was even less necessary and was more of a money laundering scheme than a airplane construction project.
We really can’t say that because we haven’t engaged in combat with the Chinese fighter.
On the other point China basically owns our government as long as the Bidens are in office and probably after because they have so many of the leaders. In congress in their pocket.
Our future depends on whether the two great Empires, China and the US, both of which are teetering on the edge of economic collapse, falls off the edge first.
Most likely they will go together since both hold huge amounts of the other’s debt.
Some economic genius will please tell me how that is possible.
“You go to war with the weapons you have, not the weapons you’ll have ten years down the road.”
Think of it another way. Possibly, these might be the jets we can sell (or give concerning Ukraine) to foreign nations to use. But if they’re junked, they will be off the inventory and out of maintenance. Used cars at that point. They are just a way of recouping while they are giving countries down the road arms to turn on or deal on us to our enemies. Like Afghanistan.
wy69
Sober truth.
However, the basic airframes are sound. Instead of trying to spin up the F-22 line again which is a ship that sailed 15 years ago when the stored tooling was destroyed, these first 30 or so F-22s could be completely stripped down to their basic airframes, and rebuilt to the latest F-22 configuration. The cost per airplane would be close to the original purchase price of the aircraft, but it would be money well spent in a future war against China.
The Air Force is always short sighted in trying to retire good aircraft to "save money" to spend on the newest toy.
Are human pilots really necessary as we enter the Robot Age?
“I had to look up that the F22 went in to service in 2005, nearly 20 years ago.”
That old piece of crap? You can’t expect the new generation of diverse fighter pilots to be comfy in some old fart-laden seat. I bet the old ones don’t even have cup holders.
There should be some way the pilots can get an upgrade, without having to restart the game.
Are human drivers really necessary in cabs and trucks?
Unmanned (I refuse to use the politically-correct 'uncrewed' ) Loyal Wingman aircraft certainly will have their place in the future battlespace, but the Mark I eyeballs and Wetware processor in a human pilot is indispensable for making contingent decisions in the heat of battle.
VERY GOOD POINT.
You cant fit a 400 pound Black Lesbian woman in the pilot seat of that old POS.
This F22s are hella aircraft.
The Air National Guard is already flying the F-22, and has been since 2007, in Virginia and Hawaii.
It was a stupid move to stop production of the Raptor at 187, merely three wings worth of aircraft.
The Air Force now prioritizes wokeness over readiness and capability. Our next (losing) war will be China and Russia against transgender, lesbian and affirmative action American pilots whose caskets will be covered by Gay Pride flags.
Clinton was a horrible president and probably in the top ten things he did was start the politically correct military domino train with ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ executive order.
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