F-22 decisions delayed until end of Bush term

[unhappycamper]

F-22 decisions delayed until end of Bush term
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jun 11, 2008 6:23:32 EDT

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Defense Secretary Robert Gates officially has passed the decision over how many F-22 Raptors the Air Force needs to the next administration takes over.

“I made the decision that we would allocate enough money to keep the production line open so the next administration could decide on the balance between buying more F-22s and buying more Joint Strike Fighters,” Gates said. “I felt that was a significant procurement decision that ought not be made in the last six or seven months of the administration.”

President Bush’s 2009 budget proposal along with the war funding bill call include enough money to buy 187 Raptors through Gates’ recommendation, who bluntly stated in February that the F-22 has no role in the war on terror. Air Force Chief of Staff T. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne — both of whom were sacked June 5 but are still in office — have called for 381 F-22s to fill out 10 squadrons with 24 fifth generation fighters each, but Gates has consistently said it should stay at 187.

Gates comments came after a stop at Langley Air Force Base, Va., where he announced his intent to nominate Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of Transportation Command, to fill Moseley’s post, and Michael Donley, DoD director of administration and management, to become the next Air Force secretary.

He told about 300 airmen at the Langley base theatre that the debates he had with Moseley and Wynne had nothing to do with his decision to ask for their resignations, and instead solely rested on their inability to halt the continual decline of nuclear standards in the Air Force.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/06/airforce_gates_f22s_061008w/



uhc comment: We already have $66,385,000,000 worth of these bad boys. Perhaps we should turn our attention to something more mundane like bridges or renewable power or health care or veterans care.

[sam sarrha]

1. joint strike fighteR, JSF,is a PIECE OF SHIT, a RUSSIAN COPY, the Boeing plane was much better, the

test info was ignored.. JSF WILL END UP BEING SCRAPED

[sam sarrha]

2. unfortunately the military plane situation is dire, old and dangerous, cause of ReThuglican pork,

they have to be replaced.. unfortunately the JSF flies like a piece of pork, or pig shit

[unhappycamper]

3. I know the AF was looking for another engine for the F-35 and,

as far as I can tell it still hasn't flown above 40,000 ft. What do you expect for $239,000,000? Something that actually works?

[sam sarrha]

4. i was working for Boeing then, it takes a BFE to make a turd fly, the boeing had the hyper drive

engine that transitioned super sonic like the F22 conceiving fuel, and they went over 40k, and already had the facilities, expertise and the trained people. F'n ReThuglicans