Posted on 04/06/2009 10:52:31 AM PDT by jazusamo
In a blow to Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon has decided to purchase to end funding of the F-22 fighter jet.
The decision by Defense Secretary Robert Gates will rouse widespread opposition in Congress and is likely to bog down the 2010 budget approval process, with F-22 supporters maneuvering to secure more money.
The Pentagon will fund four of the radar-evading stealth fighters in the upcoming 2009 emergency war-spending request, but those additional aircraft will do little to keep the production line in Marietta, Ga., open beyond 2011. Lockheed Martin is the main contractor for the F-22, each of which costs about $140 million.
Gates announced the decision at a press conference on the Defense budget on Monday afternoon.
No money will be requested in the fiscal 2010 budget, congressional and industry sources familiar with the budget briefings told The Hill. Gates has been making calls to the chairmen of the congressional defense committees.
The final F-22 of the 183 currently on order will be delivered at the end of 2011. Building another four would keep the line open for only a few months beyond that end date.
Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors, including Boeing, in recent weeks have stepped up their campaign to keep the production line open. They argue that 25,000 people work directly for the 1,000 suppliers of the F-22 in 44 states, and another 70,000 indirectly owe their jobs to this program.
indeed I have just read his/her past posts.
astounding to say the least
Mach 3... are you serious? That would be flying waaay too fast... Must keep sub-sonic... you're destroying Mother Earth at those speeds....
Air superiority over Russia and China.
A guns fight is a significant reason of UCAVs.
A plane that can pull 10-15 Gs, or more, will have the advantage in a guns-only fight.
With missiles, it doesn’t matter so much.
The problem is situational awareness for the “pilot” sitting in a trailer. He currently can’t swivel his head to track the target, so they’ll probably have to put a gimble inside the cockpit with binocular vision.
Let’s not get overly excited.
There will be future aircraft that are superior to the F-22. Guys, they are being designed and tested as we write back and forth to each other. No one I know wants to endanger the U.S.
So you won't post facts or sources regarding your contentions only your feelings and what you think?
Those are grounds for being called out as a troll and DUer
What service were you in, because you obviously didn't learn that each service has its OWN part of board to control so that the other can get its job done.
Again, the F-22 was not, is not designed to blow up ragheads in some god-forsaken sand box. It's job is to shoot down as many enemy fighters as it can so that ground forces can do their jobs without worrying about enemy aircraft.
If, as you claim, you served 20, you are part of the DS/DS era vets. You must not have paid attention to how the USAF didn't "care about the other services" for the first few weeks of the war before the Army and Marines finally rolled in on Kuwait and Iraq. SZ
Well.... so much for stimulating the American economy by creating living wage jobs. Maybe they can all be re-trained for green energy work! Or... maybe next time those union folk will vote War Hawk Republican...
Perhaps the dollars saved will go to buying additional transport planes to shuttle the obnoxious Acorn maggots
to conduct their bogus census counting.
Wow, there is something that costs too damned much even by Obama’s standards. Freedom and liberty being the hill too high to climb...
Funny, I'm in the AF and used to fly in an aircraft that supported CFLCC ISR taskings and I had a couple of Army enlisted troops right next to me.
We also had a MARLO (Marine Liaison Officer) on board.
With Zer0 in there it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s Bawney. I don’t have a clue who the turkey will pick.
Right and Japan will never bomb Pearl Harbor..
If they're not flying fighters, then ask them what they want to have watching their backs. I bet you get the same answer.
Believe what you want to, but the F-22 is the real deal. I liked the YF-23 better, but the military didn't see it that way.
Y'all just said a mouthful. DC is a foreign country these days...
It's a shame we wasted all that treasure and effort trying to prove that we could take on the Soviets in Europe. We could have had universal health care by now. What the heck. If the Soviets attacked conventionally we would have had only two choices. Better than the 2 1/2 that being able to respond conventionally gave us.
Actually that footage you say you remember from The Gulf War One was of an Army Apache pilot, NOT Air Force. Nice try though. They drifted off course and were cleared hot.
Air Force personnel are routinely getting soldiers killed by friendly fire? Um ok...when you come back to planet Earth be sure and let us know...
Yes, and they are occupying the executive offices presently, guy.
You probably meant F-16...as well as the F/A-18 and the AV-8B
As long as we don't get into a shooting war with China or some future space capable nation. Take our satellites out and we are back to the Korean war era of air superiority.
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