U.S. to buy 4 more F-22s

[unhappycamper]

U.S. to buy 4 more F-22s
By Gayle S. Putrich - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jan 18, 2008 7:01:33 EST

The upcoming Pentagon budget request will include funding for four additional F-22 Raptors in spite of the continuing stance by Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense, that the current buy of 183 is adequate.

In a Jan. 14 letter to Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., England said the Defense Department intends to keep the Lockheed Martin production line running via a 2009 supplemental funding request for more planes to replace war-related losses.

Gingrey said that England’s letter held “very little encouraging news,” and that simply prolonging the debate on when to close the line is not the answer.

“In 2009, the multiyear procurement ends,” Gingrey said. “We have to be ready with long-lead advanced procurement so we can purchase an additional lot in 2010. We need to be ready to make a case for an additional lot of planes. That’s 20 in 2010. Then we can get another multiyear agreement.”

The Air Force has been clear with Pentagon leadership, he said, and while Congress understands there are competing service priorities, unnecessarily creating a three-year gap in fighter production is not acceptable. Even if a compromise number for the F-22 — something between 183 and 381 — can be reached, it will likely rest squarely with Congress to make it happen, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/01/defense_4raptors_080117/



uhc comment: One f-22 = $330,000,000. Four F-22s = $1,320,000,000. A billion here, a billion there. No big deal. :sarcasm:

[wake.up.america]

1. and if Bush manages to start another war, we'll need more.