Posted on 04/29/2016 12:17:19 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
During his long tenure at the Pentagon, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates made many good decisions that helped soldiers and enhanced U.S. security. But his choice to truncate the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor program at 187 jets was an exception. With threats to American air superiority growing, it is time for Congress to consider resurrecting the jet or finding a suitable replacement.
Conceived in the 1980s, the F-22 Raptor was designed to secure dominance of the skies for decades. America needed fighters that could outperform the newest Soviet models from Sukhoi and MiG. To counter them, the Raptor incorporated cutting-edge technologies that had never been combined in a single aircraft: composite materials, computer avionics, thrust-vectoring engine nozzles, and radar countermeasures. It became the first “fifth generation” fighter, a high-speed, super-maneuverable stealth aircraft that still outclasses everything else in air-to-air combat.
Yet by the time the Raptor started rolling off the production line in 2002, the high-tech threats it had been designed to defeat had faded from view. Instead of Russian MiGs, Pentagon leaders were worried about improvised explosive devices.
When Mr. Gates took over the Pentagon in 2006, he found it suffering from what he called “next-war-itis”—an unhealthy focus on preparing for future conflicts and buying high-tech weapons. In response to changing threats, the Air Force had scaled back the F-22 program from 750 to 381 aircraft. In 2009, however, Mr. Gates canceled a number of defense-procurement programs and limited F-22 production to 187 jets.
Today the U.S. Air Force’s fleet is the smallest and the oldest it has ever been. Meanwhile, Russia and China have been fielding and exporting new fighters and sophisticated air defenses to countries like Iran. Russia rolled out its first fifth-generation stealth fighter, the PAK-FA, in 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
What’s scary is that, when you’re flying on the deck at speed like that, your brain is seeing images of things which are already behind you.
Funny - and here I thought THAT'S WHAT FRICKING THEIR JOB IS!
Lockheed is the manufacturer for both the F-22 and the F-35. They’re not going to restart the F-22 line when they can milk the F-35 line for far more money.
Thankfully, we saved the machine tooling for the F-22, so reopening the Raptor production line would not mean starting from scratch.
And, the C-model F-22 (or whatever they decide to call it) would have significantly upgraded sensors and avionics over the current model, which is based on late 90s technology. I’ve heard the updated Raptor would include the best elements of the F-35 avionics and sensor suite, in a proven stealth airframe that his highly maneuverable.
It’s all money, whether F22 or F35...............
You’d be surprised. There is speculation that a re-opening of the Raptor production line would also include export sales to countries like Australia, Israel, South Korea and even Japan. The Aussies and the Japanese actively campaigned for the F-22, but the Air Force would not approve the technology transfer.
Now, with the rise of China, the idea of 60-100 Raptors with the RAAF and the JASDF makes a great deal of sense.
The biggest problem Lockheed faces is finding space for the “new” Raptor line. When Gates curtailed production, the company put the machine tooling in storage and switched production to the C-130J and the F-35.
I hear there's a former C-17 line in California that Boeing doesn't use anymore...
By the time they could get a line started up again, air superiority will be handled by drones.
Unless the Air Force pilot mafia gets their way.
Nope, Freerepublic hates anything resembling a government job. Shut it all down, send them all home. Bring in sequestration x1,000,000. If you want anything else, you’re a government stooge.
“The Aussies and the Japanese actively campaigned for the F-22, but the Air Force would not approve the technology transfer.”
Not entirely correct.
Congressional prohibition in place prohibiting export of the F-22.
An evaluation of making the F-22 “exportable” (software limitations, technology adjustments, networking ability, etc) have to be adjusted before being cleared through an Exception to National Disclosure Policy process.
The cost was estimated to be roughly $1 billion dollars to make exportable.
Cost prohibitive.
Mr. Gates is a loser who was in Strategic Air Command in the 1970s and couldn't make it above the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. It took him 40 years to get into a position to screw the Air Force. When he did, he took full advantage even though everybody that had "wronged" him at the time was out of the service or dead. I hope this jerk gets hit by a drunk driver and takes 4 years to die.
“By the time they could get a line started up again, air superiority will be handled by drones.”
Not likely. . .we can’t field a 1-G, 25 knot, two-dimensional maneuvering, land-based unmanned tank. . .let alone field a hyper-sonic, multi-axis maneuvering, high-G platform able to survive in a complex A/A environment.
Field unmanned tanks first and then we may think about unmanned fighters.
Long Beach. . .but shut-down and tooling is gone.
We need eupersonic cam drones.....
Often wondered what it would take for Northrop to crank up the F-23 for production. Word was it had more than a few things it did better than the F-22.
A perfect place to move in Lockheed Martin F-22 tooling that is currently in storage...
What if Linda and Juan want to give them away to moderate Syrian jihadis?
It's LOST....
You’re rather bellicose, aren’t you? But I suppose I’ll excuse you...this time.
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