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Saturday, April 30, 2016

Will the Pentagon Restart the F-22 as the F-35 Continues to Underwhelm?

A U.S. congressional committee is planning to ask the Air Force to assess the cost and feasibility of restarting production of Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-22 fighter jet in the face of greater security threats around the world.

The radar-evading jets formally entered service in December 2005, but then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates canceled the program in 2009 amid efforts to control Pentagon spending and orient the department toward the wars it was then fighting.

Only 187 of the stealthy, high-tech jet fighters were produced, about a quarter of the 749 originally planned. The last was delivered to the Air Force in 2012.

In its portion of the National Defense Authorization Act, the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces has included a provision directing the Air Force secretary to carry out a comprehensive study of the cost of resuming production of the F-22.

Congressman Mike Turner, chairman of the subcommittee, said restarting production should be considered because of threats to U.S. air superiority.

The committee is asking for the report by Jan. 1, 2017. Consideration of the NDAA, the annual defense policy bill, is still in its early stages. The defense bill must be approved by the House Armed Services Committee, the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate before going to the president for his signature.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obama cancelled the program in his first year in office. It was the beginning of his long term commitment to weaken America's military which he has continued to do and will do until he is finally out of the White House in January.

KBinLA said...

That image is quite unique, Joe.
It's an F-22 Escorting a Russian Bear Backfire Bomber.

Anonymous said...

If you think Obama's military cuts were bad...if Hillary takes office we won't have a military or guns to defend ourselves...