Will the F-22 Raptor be cancelled? | Forums

[GENVDOG]

I'm not here to start a political discussion about the current situation in Iraq

but I need an opinion on this article. Will the cost of the current war kill the F-22 program?
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...sa_mccain_dc_2
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon (news - web sites) may have to scrap its premier fighter jet program to help pay for the war in Iraq (news - web sites), Sen. John McCain, an influential member of the Armed Services Committee, said on Sunday.


Reuters Photo



"It's obvious that we're paying a heavy price, I think, for not having had enough troops there from the beginning," the Arizona Republican said on NBC's "Meet the Press."


McCain said both the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps must be expanded overall, a position at odds with President Bush (news - web sites)'s administration. The United States has about 135,000 troops in Iraq, a number that McCain, an influential member of the Armed Services Committee, said must rise.


As part of a broad overhaul of U.S. priorities, he said, the Pentagon may have to scrap the $71 billion Air Force program to buy F/A-22 air-to-air fighters built by Lockheed Martin Corp. .


"We may have to cancel this airplane that's going to cost between $250 million and $300 million a copy," said McCain, floating what could become a major new legislative hurdle to a top Air Force priority.


McCain led a drive that stalled what has become a $23.5 billion plan to lease up to 20 and buy up to 80 modified Boeing Co. 767s as mid-air refueling tankers. The plan is on hold pending reviews due next month at the Pentagon.


"We've got to change the way we do business and put the priority where it belongs," McCain said. "And that is making sure that we succeed in Iraq."


Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, chairman of the Intelligence committee, said the United States needed more specially trained forces in Iraq.


"People that are in there have to know what the heck we're doing," Roberts said on the CBS program Face the Nation. "If we do have those troops, yes, let's send them."


The Air Force hopes to buy at least 277 F/A-22 fighters, which it describes as key to dominating the skies in future combat. It is about to enter operational testing en route to replacing the F-15C.


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resisted calls for any lasting increase in the U.S. occupation force in Iraq and argued against permanently boosting the size of U.S. armed forces unless sought by military commanders themselves.


Last week, Rumsfeld said the Pentagon may postpone the departure of some troops supposed to be heading home now. The Pentagon originally had planned to decrease the numbers to about 115,000 in coming months.

[GENVDOG]

I'm not here to start a political discussion about the current situation in Iraq

but I need an opinion on this article. Will the cost of the current war kill the F-22 program?
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...sa_mccain_dc_2
_________________________

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon (news - web sites) may have to scrap its premier fighter jet program to help pay for the war in Iraq (news - web sites), Sen. John McCain, an influential member of the Armed Services Committee, said on Sunday.


Reuters Photo



"It's obvious that we're paying a heavy price, I think, for not having had enough troops there from the beginning," the Arizona Republican said on NBC's "Meet the Press."


McCain said both the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps must be expanded overall, a position at odds with President Bush (news - web sites)'s administration. The United States has about 135,000 troops in Iraq, a number that McCain, an influential member of the Armed Services Committee, said must rise.


As part of a broad overhaul of U.S. priorities, he said, the Pentagon may have to scrap the $71 billion Air Force program to buy F/A-22 air-to-air fighters built by Lockheed Martin Corp. .


"We may have to cancel this airplane that's going to cost between $250 million and $300 million a copy," said McCain, floating what could become a major new legislative hurdle to a top Air Force priority.


McCain led a drive that stalled what has become a $23.5 billion plan to lease up to 20 and buy up to 80 modified Boeing Co. 767s as mid-air refueling tankers. The plan is on hold pending reviews due next month at the Pentagon.


"We've got to change the way we do business and put the priority where it belongs," McCain said. "And that is making sure that we succeed in Iraq."


Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, chairman of the Intelligence committee, said the United States needed more specially trained forces in Iraq.


"People that are in there have to know what the heck we're doing," Roberts said on the CBS program Face the Nation. "If we do have those troops, yes, let's send them."


The Air Force hopes to buy at least 277 F/A-22 fighters, which it describes as key to dominating the skies in future combat. It is about to enter operational testing en route to replacing the F-15C.


Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resisted calls for any lasting increase in the U.S. occupation force in Iraq and argued against permanently boosting the size of U.S. armed forces unless sought by military commanders themselves.


Last week, Rumsfeld said the Pentagon may postpone the departure of some troops supposed to be heading home now. The Pentagon originally had planned to decrease the numbers to about 115,000 in coming months.

[Rapier01]

I hope not. I'm not sure what McCain has against the Air Force. He's gone after them on the tankers and now the Raptor. Hopefully, he'll fail in his atempt to undermine the nation's defenses...

[AFACadet]

I'm trying to carry on in 2 other forums with this topic because of the article.


Most of those people know jack squat, so its taking me a while, but here its different.


Short answer: NO

[alucardnana1]

I heard the same thing. I personally think it`s too late. Anyway, comanche.... raptor....it would be too much

[alucardnana1]

But.... do you guys really think 277 raptors are going to be enough? there is going to be a lot more SU30-35-37, typhoon, rafales and gripens out there.

[AFACadet]

No, it does not fullfill the AF requirements, but that's being worked on. Regardless, the US will not be fighting every advanced fighter or SAM system at the same time (unless its Armageddon and well then the Nukes would be flying by then and it would not matter)

[BigRSearle]

BTR12 told us the AF has a valid requirement for 380 F-22s. That number will probably not be reached, but I have no doubt that the AF will get more than the currently quoted 277.

The key here is "supplementals"

277 jets fit into the current budget, but Congress can appropriate supplemental money to continue profuction. If you think this isnt likely, you are mistaken.

Supplemental funding helped buy more F-16, F-15C, F-15E, KC-135R, JSTARS and probably tons of other smaller programs that i dont know about.

Supplemental funding actually purchased an additional 20 something F-15Es after all orders were filled.

I think we will still see more than 300 raptors, but less than the AF requirement of 380.



BiG R

[Deuce420]

I don't personally see the need for a new fighter aircraft. The USSR is dead, russia is in an ill-state, and the only people that the US is fighting against are Ak-47 carrying moslem extremists and nations like Iraq that have a weak military. Even N.Korea and China, from what I've heard, don't even maintain their MiG-29s and Su-27s in operating conditions, and the MiG-23, as cool as it may look, is no match for even the early F-15A's.

Besides that, most of their inventory is obsolete aircraft like the MiG-21 and even the MiG-17! The majority of their airforce could be destroyed on the ground anyways.

[Rapier01]

Infidel!!!