AF Push for F-22s Faces Uphill Climb

[unhappycamper]

AF Push for F-22s Faces Uphill Climb
September 30, 2008
Associated Press

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - The next president, John McCain or Barack Obama, is expected to be a penny-pinching commander in chief when it comes to buying new military weapons. And that's bad news for the Air Force's push to buy scores more F-22 Raptors, a supersonic jet fighter built to dominate enemy airspace.

At $191 million apiece, extra Raptors will be a hard fit in a defense budget expected to begin shrinking after eight years of steady growth under President Bush. The jet's expense may be its biggest vulnerability.

The Raptor hasn't been used to fight Islamic terrorism, another factor working against it. In the aircraft's corner is Congress, which may find the cash if the White House won't.

At Langley, home to the Air Combat Command and 40 ash-gray F-22s, ending production of the Raptor is a troubling prospect. Air Force officials point to Russia's attack in August on neighboring Georgia, a U.S. ally, as proof the nation must be prepared to do more than hunt down terror groups.

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, mostly battles fought on the ground, aren't matters of national survival, they say. Wars against heavyweights like Russia and China, or a nuclear-armed Iran, would be.

Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/September-2008/af-push-for-f22s-faces-uphill-climb.html?col=1186032310810



uhc comment: 2 items of note:

1. The delivered cost of a brand-new ash-grey F-22 is $355,000,000.
2. In case you guys haven't noticed, the economy is in the tank.

[thunder rising]

1. You mean that with all that money the AF still hasn't bought the damn planes?

Fuck! I'll bet there are a lot of good golf courses though.