Posted on 04/06/2009 10:52:31 AM PDT by jazusamo
In a blow to Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon has decided to purchase to end funding of the F-22 fighter jet.
The decision by Defense Secretary Robert Gates will rouse widespread opposition in Congress and is likely to bog down the 2010 budget approval process, with F-22 supporters maneuvering to secure more money.
The Pentagon will fund four of the radar-evading stealth fighters in the upcoming 2009 emergency war-spending request, but those additional aircraft will do little to keep the production line in Marietta, Ga., open beyond 2011. Lockheed Martin is the main contractor for the F-22, each of which costs about $140 million.
Gates announced the decision at a press conference on the Defense budget on Monday afternoon.
No money will be requested in the fiscal 2010 budget, congressional and industry sources familiar with the budget briefings told The Hill. Gates has been making calls to the chairmen of the congressional defense committees.
The final F-22 of the 183 currently on order will be delivered at the end of 2011. Building another four would keep the line open for only a few months beyond that end date.
Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors, including Boeing, in recent weeks have stepped up their campaign to keep the production line open. They argue that 25,000 people work directly for the 1,000 suppliers of the F-22 in 44 states, and another 70,000 indirectly owe their jobs to this program.
Obama is hell bent on destroying this country piece by piece....
They argue that 25,000 people work directly for the 1,000 suppliers of the F-22 in 44 states, and another 70,000 indirectly owe their jobs to this program.Instead of arguing about jobs (another form of earmarking IMHO), how about arguing the value of the weapon system to our military? This argument makes the F-22 seem like a make-work program, not a US military lifesaving system.
Fox reporting that this will mean the end of 90,000 jobs!! Not going to go over well with the American people.
Obama has hated this country since he was 6 years old. His father in Indonesia taught him to hate America, all of his associations, Wright, Khalidi, etc, they have all taught him to hate America. Who would have thought that a guy that hates this country would one day become President
I wonder how many Aircraft workers followed their union goons and voted for Obama ?
You’re correct, the F-22 is a most valuable weapon for our future defense and that should be the argument to keep funding it.
No surprise here. Money is tight. ACORN needs it more.
The F-22 just wasn’t the plane it was cracked up to be. It did have all the pricetag you could ever imagine!
We’ll regret this later.
Curses upon those who would strike the sword from the hand of our country.
Hubby just mentioned the F-22 this morning. His company makes parts. He said the company may be in trouble if they stopped production.
FUBO
Exactly.
Nancy Pelosi wants to keep the C-17 line open as well.
Not for military readiness, but for her own pork-barrel project.
Letting this type of politics cloud the system endangers valuable programs.
Evidence, please.
They r out of their minds
I’d love to see the numbers on how many of those 90,000 workers voted for his wonderfulness.
[rest of comment self deleted]
We have a couple of new airplanes, the F-22 (right here, right now) and F-35 (years from entering service), to replace our older, worn and torn airplanes and to keep anyone from thinking we'd be easily rolled. So, of course, congress cancels the F-22.
Stupid, dangerously naive congress. Why is it when congress screws up everyone feels it but them?
Well, they probably don't cost that in actual variable costs. The F-22 is still carrying the cost load of a massive R&D effort in development. Not all of which is wasted, btw. The things learned in the F-22 program will support other future designs as well.
But this is not the time to shorten this program. The time to do that is when we have something even better on the drawing board.
Fox just reported that as many as 90.000 people will lose their jobs over this.
More hope and change from the Failure in Chief.....
That’s not all that is getting cut. It’s extremely short-sighted to put so much emphasis on anti-insurgent tech at the expense of cutting-edge research that will help us discourage another world war.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.