Save the F-22
Jul 27th, 2009 by David Anderson
Why kill 24,000 jobs immediately and risk 95,000 jobs (another Chrysler)? Japan wants these fighters and will keep the program going if we give it another two years. If we don’t see the national security value of the program, then why not take the 1.75 billion needed to save it from the stimulus package. That one action would save more jobs then any program in the stimulus. In fact it would do as much as the package to date.
Gates and Pentagon Bureaucrats are backing the end of F-22 production. They want to focus on the low end F-35. The Air Force planned for over 600 of these and cut back to 250 in order to switch the mix to more F-35 and sustain budget cuts. Stopping at 179 makes zero sense in this economy and is contrary to Air Force recommendations. Even more importantly, the sudden discontinuation of the program hinders national security by undermining the tactical air craft production industry that we would need in the future.
Here is my quick case for the F-22. The Rumsfeld cuts to the Air Force were wrong headed in the first place. They have stretched the Air Force Reserves and Guard almost back to active duty at times. It makes the reserves a lie. If we need to use people on a long term basis 2 to 4 months at a time repeatedly for year after year, then we just need to expand the active force to a sustainable level. In spite of this fact, the cutting of the F-22 will likely mean the Air Force will not be able supply the reserve wing as it desired. The Air Force said that at moderate risk we would need close to 250 of these fighters. That level would fully supply the active duty wings and a reserve wing. We need all of our potential forces equipped and ready. How can anyone believe that we only need to prepare for a light risk? We don’t want to make the same mistake that we have made through our history, train people during war.
The F-22 is a deterrent to Russia, China, and other higher technology nations. The F-35 is more for tactical support. The Raptor is rated the finest fighter aircraft in the world. It has some of the highest speed, stealth, air to air, and air to ground capabilities of any aircraft in the world. The politics behind the substituting of the F-22 is that it is an advance Air Craft suitable only for the Air Force. The Navy and marines can use the F-35 which gives it a wider political base. The truth is every study says we need both. The F-22 can do somethings no other air craft can. A report to Congress called it a vital deterrent. Our political decision makers have a bad habit of fighting the last war and not looking at future threats.
Some people like John McCain who supported allowing Airbus to build our military planes, do not see the need to keep a national security industrial base. I do. A world power needs to be able to have the capability to secure itself under its own power. If we are unwilling to listen to the Air Force experts, let us at least follow the House of Representatives recommendation and put the money necessary to keep the tools and industry in place until the foreign order dates come that would be less than $370 million. When we want more of that or another plane, the infrastructure will be in place. There are 95,000 jobs in 44 states affected.
If Senator McCain and President Obama think that this would take money from the battlefield (instead it would make America safer by giving us adequate air power to respond to additional threats), then take the money from the stimulus. Call it a jobs program, it would be the best bang for the buck yet. We seem to be willing to create 400 jobs for that amount of money but not save 95,000. Unlike make work jobs, this would add to the national security of Japan and other allies, and arguably America.
I commented on this issue last week at http://www.delawarerepublican.wordpress.com and the F 22 is a goner.
A couple of things. Air Superiority is ours for the forseeable future and the F22 is a fine fighter but Gates and others do not see the need for a pure fighter platform.
Also, the Air Force certainly is leaning in the direction of unmanned aircraft. Maneuverability is not as valued as it used to be.
Bottom line is money. Our nation is bankrupt and defense will be short changed in many ways, the F 22 is the first casualty.
Mike Protack