Which includes program dollars, as opposed to just the cost of the airplane itself - which is the apples-to-apples comparison with the F-35 numbers I provided.
Again, from the article:
In the "Joint Explanatory Statement" accompanying the bill, the House and Senate appropriators specified that $2.907 billion was to be appropriated for 20 F-22s in 2009. The math comes to just about what the Air Force said, $145 million per copy.
Again, from the article:And again, from later down in the same article:
In the "Joint Explanatory Statement" accompanying the bill, the House and Senate appropriators specified that $2.907 billion was to be appropriated for 20 F-22s in 2009. The math comes to just about what the Air Force said, $145 million per copy.
So, what's the problem?There's more; plenty more. Flipping down to the section on "modification of aircraft" we find another $327 million for the F-22 program.
Switching over to the Research and Development section, we find another $607 million for the F-22 under the title "Operational System Development."
Some will further know it is typical for DOD to provide "advance procurement" money in previous appropriations bills to support the subsequent year's purchase of major equipment. In the case of the 2009 buy of 20 F-22's, the previous 2008 appropriations bill provided "advance procurement" for "long lead" items needed to be purchased in advance to enable the 2009 buy. The amount provided was $427 million.
Here's the arithmetic: $2.907 + $.327 + $.607 + $.427 = $4.268 billion for 20 aircraft. That's $213 million each.
Please do not think these data represent an exceptional year. If you check any of the last few annual buys of F-22s, you will find the same pattern: in addition to the annual "procurement" amount, there is additional "modification," "operational system development," and advance procurement.
F-22s are costing these days a little over $200 million each. Period.