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| Science & Technology |
| F-22 decisions delayed until end of Bush term |
| 2008-06-10 |
| You are in ground combat in Sadr City or Tora Bora. You have a choice of tactical support from: (You may choose more than one) 1. A GMLRS within 50 miles, on call 24/7 2. A 155 battery, equipped with Excalibur, within 20 miles, on call 24/7 3. A armed Predator or Reaper orbiting 24/7 4. A A-10 Warthog available with 20 minutes 5. A Apache available within 30-40 minutes 6. A F-22 Raptor able to sneak in without detection The old tactical versus strategic competing for limited funds 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. When Gates said the military suffered from “next war-itis” last March, he said those comments were not directed specifically at the Air Force and its demand for more fifth generation fighters to compete with Russian and Chinese air forces. In fact, he told Langley airmen “we must modernize the Air Force in particular your aging fighter and tanker fleet” referring to the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley. However, Gates said he would remain focused primarily on the wars America currently fights that don’t call for any F-22 sorties anytime soon and reversing a disturbing trend of loosening nuclear discipline. “We are damn sure we are also going to spend and do everything necessary to win the wars we are in, to care properly for our wounded, and to restore excellence in our nuclear stewardship,” he said. But, Gates said he sees the need for a fifth generation fighter, and said the debate over the numbers will include the Joint Strike Fighter, who his spokesman Geoff Morell reiterated that the defense secretary felt is more capable. Either way Gates expects the new Air Force leaders to support whatever number the next defense secretary decides upon. “There is a need for debate, but making decisions and moving on and start getting stuff built is what I think is really important,” he said. Hanger Queen Show |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #10 I was told there'd be no tests after cocktail hour :-( |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-06-10 23:22 |
| #9 I made the assumption that I have battalion Intel and recon assets... if not then the Predator or Reaper orbiting 24/7 is paramount. |
| Posted by: RD 2008-06-10 23:08 |
| #8 THE TEST by GolfBravoUSMC hummmm... 1. A GMLRS within 50 miles, on call 24/7 2. A 155 battery, equipped with Excalibur, within 20 miles, on call 24/7 3. A armed Predator or Reaper orbiting 24/7 4. A A-10 Warthog available with 20 minutes 5. A Apache available within 30-40 minutes 6. A F-22 Raptor able to sneak in without detection ****************************************** You are in ground combat in Sadr City or Tora Bora To attack in Sadr City or Tora Bora: in this order: 2. A 155 battery, equipped with Excalibur, within 20 miles, on call 24/7 4. A A-10 Warthog available with 20 minutes 1. A GMLRS within 50 miles, on call 24/7 5. A Apache available within 30-40 minutes 3. A armed Predator or Reaper orbiting 24/7 ************************************************* extra credit: LOL! To defend in Sadr City or Tora Bora: 2. A 155 battery, equipped with Excalibur, within 20 miles, on call 24/7 4. A A-10 Warthog available with 20 minutes 1. A GMLRS within 50 miles, on call 24/7 5. A Apache available within 30-40 minutes 3. A armed Predator or Reaper orbiting 24/7 |
| Posted by: RD 2008-06-10 22:46 |
| #7 Mr. Spemble, I disagree. I'd rather buy more F-22's and -35's, which are developed now, than throw the assembly line away and start bleeding money on developing a third airframe and then building an assembly line for it. |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2008-06-10 21:46 |
| #6 By leaving it to the next administration you remove shutting down the production line in about half the congressional districts as a campaign issue for the fall. I doubt either administration will fund it because there are just too many other good ways to spend the money, like developing a UCAV follow on. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-06-10 19:33 |
| #5 Well, by leaving it up o the next administration, you're either a) betting that administration will be Republican and the wise decision will be made, or b) betting the administration will be Democrat in which case you're throwing away a weapon system the country needs because the Democrats and Obama will sure as hell cancel it if it's the least little bit offensive in capabilities. |
| Posted by: FOTSGreg 2008-06-10 19:30 |
| #4 And 187 should be enough for that. The question is, do we need another 200? I find it hard to believe that would be the highest and best use of the funds involved, about 20 billion for the airplanes alone. That would buy a lot of 1-5. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-06-10 19:27 |
| #3 "the F-22 has no role in the war on terror. " But it has a hell of a role in a conventional conflict, such as a Chinese attack on Taiwan. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-06-10 19:20 |
| #2 I'm sure a Democrat admin would make the same courteous nod.... yeah, right, who'm I kidding |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-06-10 18:38 |
| #1 Mr. Gates: If it's a political decision, it's not a "need", it's a "want"... |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-06-10 16:43 |