Rapier01 Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 http://aimpoints.hq.af.mil/display.cfm?id=10861 Analyst: Independent U.S. study calls for more F-22s BY: Andrea Shalal-Esa, Reuters News Service 04/25/2006 WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - A study that was to help cut the size of the U.S. fighter jet fleet instead concluded that the U.S. military needs at least 40 more Lockheed Martin Corp. F-22 fighter jets, defense analyst Loren Thompson said on Monday. Defense Secretary Gordon England last August commissioned the Virginia-based consulting group Whitney, Bradley & Brown to identify ways to trim the number of tactical aircraft operated by the various military services. As Navy Secretary, England commissioned a similar study by the same firm, which led to a merger of the aviation commands of the Navy and Marine Corps, and cut more than 400 aircraft from the Navy's purchase of Lockheed Joint Strike Fighters. Thompson, chief operating officer of the Virginia-based Lexington Institute, said senior government officials and industry executives told him the new study recommended between 220 and 260 radar-evading F-22 "Raptors." That is above the 183 aircraft now planned in the Pentagon's budget. Each F-22 costs about $130 million, not including billions of dollars spent on research and development since the program's inception in 1986. Neither England's office nor Whitney, Bradley & Brown had any immediate comment on the study. The consulting firm's report has not been made public. News of the report came as the Air Force confirmed that technicians had to use a chainsaw to cut a pilot out of his F-22 at Langley Air Force Base on April 10, after its canopy jammed shut and trapped him inside for five hours. Maj. Jack Miller called the incident "an anomaly" and said nothing similar had occurred before or after the incident. He said it would cost $182,000 to replace the canopy, and officials were investigating "how it happened, why it happened and how we can prevent it from happening again." SURPRISING RECOMMENDATION The number of F-22s recommended by the new study is still well below the 381 the Air Force says it needs to fight future wars, but above the 183 aircraft that it says it can pay for. "The reason for going to outside consultants was to eliminate service bias, but in this case, it has produced the surprising result of calling for more F-22 fighters rather than the 183 number the Air Force agreed to" during the last round of budget cuts, Thompson said. He noted that 260 was the maximum production run that would have been feasible under congressional cost caps. Christopher Bolkcom, defense analyst with the Congressional Research Service, said he has not seen the new study but it raised questions about how to pay for the extra fighter jets. "If true, this recommendation is a good news/bad news story for the Air Force. An independent group agrees with them that 183 airplanes are not enough, but at the same time, it disputes the Air Force's requirement for 381," Bolkcom said. The F-22 joined the U.S. combat fleet last December. It was developed during the Cold War to replace the F-15 as the top U.S. air superiority fighter, but the Pentagon has added air-to-ground attack capability over the past few years. The Air Force is planning to stretch F-22 production until 2010 to keep Lockheed's production line open pending arrival of its more affordable F-35 Joint Strike Fighter family of aircraft that will also go to the Navy, the Marines and co-developing nations that include Britain, Italy and Turkey. Link to post Share on other sites
Flex Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 That must have been a VERY EXPENSIVE report.. Link to post Share on other sites
Rapier01 Posted April 25, 2006 Author Share Posted April 25, 2006 It's DOD, isn't it always... Link to post Share on other sites
Dan 88 Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 I noticed that Mr.England likes cutting fighter numbers. IMO sounds like he has a personal beef with fighters to me..... Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor Supporter Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 Certainly hope more Raptors will eventually be produced. Any more over 183 will be a good thing. Link to post Share on other sites
Av8fan Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 Like I said, now theycan get some for the Thunderbirds as well. If I could use photo shop or illustrator, I think I'd try to do that paint scheme. Could be interesting Link to post Share on other sites
CaptainErik Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 Can't they make it stealth to budget ? Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted April 26, 2006 Share Posted April 26, 2006 If they can make the aeroplane go away when they want it to, why can't they just make the costs go away with it? Just a thought. There would then also be no need for costly enquiries which come up with the "wrong" answers. Cheers, Ross. Link to post Share on other sites
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