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Think the FA-22 Raptor is over priced and not worth it? Might want to read this below. I got this from an olf Army friend of mine, who corresponds with a Air Force pilot he's talked to for many years. He felt the same way about the FA-22 until he was involved with the testing and training involved with the FA-22 a couple years ago. The comments made by this guy are pretty striking. The more of these in the Air Force arsenal the better, especially with the looming threats from China, North Korea, Iran, and now Venezuela with their...

New immigrant: F22 stealth bomber? World's most advanced fighter jet currently only in US hands. After House of Representatives lifts ban on its sale, security establishment assesses jet may be offered to Israel Aryeh Egozi The United States may supply Israel with the most advanced stealth fighter jet in the world – the F22 Raptor – considering the war in Lebanon and the Iranian threat, the Israeli security establishment has assessed. The US has not yet exported the F22 to any of its allies. Recently, however, the House of Representatives lifted its nine year ban on the sale of the...

Indo-Russia joint stealth fighters programme flies into turbulence Shiv Aroor Posted online: Friday, August 04, 2006 at 0000 hrs NEW DELHI,AUGUST 3: A team from Russia’s Sukhoi Design Bureau and Irkut gave a detailed classified presentation to the Defence Ministry on Thursday on its fifth generation fighter concept, but discrepancies have already begun to surface between New Delhi and Moscow over the proposed multi-billion dollar joint programme to develop and produce advanced stealth fighters for both countries in the next decade. In essence, South Block has communicated to Moscow that the Russian fifth generation fighter programme, designated PAK-FA, is already...

It's the fighter we have to have Hugh White July 19, 2006 Everything the critics say about the Joint Strike Fighter is probably true. It will cost more than we expected, it will not perform as well as we hoped, it will be delivered late and we will not be told as much as we'd like about how the aircraft's software really works. But it is still probably the best new combat aircraft for Australia. The fighter is being developed by the United States in collaboration with Britain, Canada and half a dozen European countries. All have put their money...

RAAF's new fighters 'already obsolete' June 16, 2006 - 5:29PM AdvertisementThe RAAF's next generation of air fighters could be as outclassed as propeller-driven aircraft in the days of jets, the Parliamentary Library has found. In a recent report into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the library said it was likely the project would become more expensive and that other aircraft would do the same job more cheaply. And it warned that developments in unmanned aircraft could make the JSF effectively obsolete. Australia is one of eight countries to have signed up with the United States to develop and buy...

IAF chief procurement officer: F35 will replace F16 The Israel Air Force plans is to buy over 100 Lockheed Martin F35s, costing at least $5 billion. Amnon Barzilai 21 Jun 06 10:15 The Israel Air Force (IAF) is completing its plan to replace its fleet of combat jets, transport planes, and helicopters, ahead of the IDF headquarters workshop for the formulation of its Keshet five-year plan. In an exclusive interview, IAF chief procurement officer Brig.-Gen. Zeev Snir told “Globes” that the key part of the plan was to procure the next-generation US combat jet, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Snir...

The pending Boeing/Lockheed "United Launch Alliance" (ULA) to provide the Air Force with expendable rockets would unfairly strand taxpayers with a half-billion-dollar-a-year subsidy: that's the message the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU) delivered to Congress today, in an open letter urging lawmakers to end subsidies for the companies' current and proposed space-booster schemes. Federal policymakers are expected to consider the merger deal as early as this week. "Launch platforms for satellites can be expendable, but tax dollars never are," said NTU Director of Government Affairs Paul Gessing. "Over the past decade, the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) initiative...

The F-22A Raptor, the newest addition to the Air Force arsenal, entered operational status Thursday after nearly 20 years of development and testing, much of it in the skies above the Antelope Valley. "This is a great day for us in the Air Force," said Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command. "I'm very happy to add this arrow to our quiver." The F-22A incorporates advancements in stealth, fuel-saving supersonic flight without afterburners, advanced avionics to provide pilots with better information about their environment and superior maneuverability. Keys considered the aircraft's capability and supportability in assigning the Raptor...

December 13, 2005 - The U.S. Air Force plans to change the designation of the F/A-22 Raptor to "F-22A" in the near future according to an article on DefenseNews.com. According to an article by Gopal Ratnam and Michael Fabey on DefenseNews.com, the U.S. Air Force is changing the designation of the F/A-22 Raptor to F-22A. The move was announced on December 12 by Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Moseley in a speech to the Air National Guard senior leadership conference and is expected to be officially announced by the Air Force in several days. In the article, Loren Thompson,...

Northrop Grumman, L-3 Turn F/A-22 Radar Into Wide-Bandwidth Data Link By David A. Fulghum 12/11/2005 07:09:18 PM TALKING RADARS New radars are becoming sophisticated radios--radios that can be used as weapons against insurgents. A series of experiments is turning the radars of next-generation tactical aircraft--including the F/A-22 and F-35--into advanced communications devices for intelligence-gathering, reconnaissance and strike missions. Laboratory tests by Northrop Grumman and L-3 Communications researchers show new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars can be modified to send and receive large amounts of information at high data rates. So new-generation fighters not only should be able to...

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - Planning for the upcoming open house on Oct. 22 and 23 is hitting a fever pitch as base officials finalize one of the most diverse air shows to hit the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles area in years. This year there will be just under seven hours of continuous flying featuring nearly 34 separate flight demonstrations; more than triple those of most shows common to southern California. Some highlights include a special performance by aviation legend Chuck Yeager flying a P-51 Mustang, the same type of aircraft Yeager flew when he became an ace in...

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper on Monday said arguments for restoring some Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) F/A-22 fighter jets cut from the Pentagon's 2006 budget were "making sense" to military planners. "Quite frankly, I don't think the number's going to stay the same. I think we're making good arguments for why we need this airplane," Jumper told reporters at a final roundtable before he hands over the reins as the Air Force's top uniformed officer to Gen. Michael Moseley on Friday.

PALMDALE - Demonstrating agility as graceful as a ballet, stunning aerobatic-like skills such as "standing" on its tail and the lethal firepower of air-launched missiles and a six-barrel Gatling gun cannon, even a brief video of the F/A-22 Raptor in action gives one an idea of the air supremacy it promises. "That is as fun as it looks," said John Fergione, F/A-22 experimental test pilot for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co . Fergione presented an update on the F/A-22 Raptor program to members of the Antelope Valley Board of Trade on Tuesday. The dominance of the F/A-22 in a battle situation...

EDWARDS AFB - After taking a year off, the Edwards Air Force Base Open House and Air Show returns with a bang - and a boom and a roar - on Oct. 22 and 23. The free event will feature seldom-seen aircraft in the air and on the ground as the base pulls out all the stops to showcase military and civilian aviation. "It's looking real good," said Edwards spokesman John Haire of the tentative show lineup, expected to feature more flying than in recent years. Making its aerial debut at Edwards will be the unmanned Predator, used in combat...

6/8/2005 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- A flight control system problem caused an F/A-22 Raptor to crash on the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Dec. 20, according to an Air Force report released June 8. The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The $133.3-million aircraft, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis, was destroyed when it crashed. Additional damage was limited to an arresting cable, runway guide sign, runway light and the runway itself. The flight control system malfunction was caused by a brief power interruption to the aircraft’s three rate...

Washington — It can break the sound barrier without kicking its engines into overdrive, instantly tell the difference between friend and foe, and destroy the enemy long before the enemy ever sees it coming. But the protection the F/A-22 Raptor needs to survive doesn't lie solely in its arsenal and flying abilities. It also depends on an equally sophisticated system of cash and politics that keeps thousands of defense workers around the country on the job, their employers profitable and their congressmen in office. EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR About 2,200 Lockheed Martin employees assemble the Raptor in Marietta....

Posted 04/07/05 09:19 U.S. Jet Fighter Programs Beset by Prohibitive Rising Costs By JIM MANNION, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The U..S. Air Force's jet fighter programs; the F/A-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter are beset by soaring costs, development delays and changing world threats that raise questions about their viability," Congress's investigative arm said April 6. The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the original business case for the F/A-22 has been "severely weakened, and that the original business rationale for the JSF is unexecutable." The uncertainty surrounding the two fighter programs, which together require future investments of 240...

Lockheed F/A-22 wins approval for full-rate output Fri Apr 1, 2005 01:42 PM ET WASHINGTON, April 1 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F/A-22 stealthy fighter jet won approval for full-rate production from a key Pentagon panel this week, although it still faces major budget cuts under the Bush administration's fiscal 2006 budget plan. The Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board met on Tuesday and approved the results of a series of initial operational tests of the F/A-22, or "Raptor," clearing Lockheed to accelerate production of the aircraft, sources familiar with the decision said on Friday. Pentagon spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin confirmed only that...

As the Pentagon works on a four-year review of its force size and military strategy, the Air Force is hoping that the final analysis will either restore cuts to its premiere fighter program, or least delay closing the production line, according to a key service official involved in the effort.Maj. Gen. Ronald Bath, the director of Air Force strategic planning, says service officials intend to make the case for the F/A-22. ''I think that the number will go up, the production line will stay open, or a combination of both,'' he said in an interview Wednesday with Defense Daily.Since seeing...

WASHINGTON - • A Pentagon official's support for the fighter jet doesn't change the Defense Department's plan to terminate the program after 2008. Lockheed Martin's F/A-22 fighter jet, which suffered reliability problems during recent tests, will probably be approved for full production later this month, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer said. Approval would allow orders for up to 96 aircraft through 2008, a decision worth as much as $11 billion, according to Air Force figures. Eighty-three aircraft have already been ordered under a series of low-rate production contracts. "I don't see any kind of impediment to entering full-rate production right...

The Air Force's next-generation stealth fighter, the F/A-22, is in big trouble. So the service is looking to the Super Bowl to save the jet. The Pentagon's proposed budget for next year calls for a cut of $15.5 billion in funds for the so-called "Raptor," trimming the fleet of F/A-22s from 277 planes to 180. In response, the Air Force brass is mounting a major league PR campaign for the fighter. Last month, Air Force chief of staff John Jumper flew a Raptor over Florida at nearly Mach 2, to show the plane off. Now, the Project on Government Oversight...

MARIETTA, Ga. , February 1, 2005 -- The transformational F/A-22 Raptor has met or exceeded all technical performance parameters during a rigorous Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) by an independent U.S. Air Force agency that released its testing results today. An Air Force news release states the operational effectiveness of the F/A-22 is “overwhelmingly effective, demonstrated by the Raptor's ability to operate against adversary ground and air defenses with impunity. Ground defenses could not engage the F/A-22, nor could adversary aircraft survive.” “The F/A-22 is living up to expectations to be the country’s air dominance aircraft for decades to...

On a clear day at an Air Force base in Nevada, as a test pilot steered his F/A-22 skyward, the nose of the plane inexplicably turned down, pitching the $250 million fighter jet into the ground. The pilot, luckily, walked away unscathed. But the crash, which took place just before Christmas, was not only a blow to Air Force pride but also, as it turned out, a bad omen. Days later, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld confirmed reports that the Pentagon planned to cut the number of F/A-22's it would buy by about a third, sending shock waves through the...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Pentagon (news - web sites) is planning sharp cuts in the Air Force's program for its new F/A-22 fighter jet in a move budget analysts said was intended to offset mounting U.S. deficits and the growing costs of the Iraq (news - web sites) war, Wednesday's New York Times reported. The newspaper said the Pentagon's decision, which four administration and Congressional officials described on Tuesday and which Congress must still approve, comes as the Bush administration is pressing all agencies to scale back spending requests for the fiscal year 2006 budget, which will be submitted...

PALMDALE - Leaders of an Antelope Valley Float Association booster committee that is working to get a Valley aerospace-themed float into the Tournament of Roses Parade say they have reorganized the group and that a controversial committee officer has left the project. Mary Rainwater, president of the Float Association, and Bill Graham, a real estate sales agent, said Wednesday that the group's former vice president is no longer affiliated with the effort. Sandy Douglass has "absolutely no participation," Rainwater said. Antelope Valley Press reports disclosed Douglass had a number of criminal convictions for offenses that involved bad checks and other...

12/21/2004 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) -- An Air Force F/A-22 Raptor crashed on takeoff here Dec. 20. The pilot ejected successfully and was taken to the base hospital for evaluation. The pilot and aircraft are assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here.

Nellis pilot ejects safely before impact The charred wreckage of an F/A-22 Raptor aircraft lies at the end of a runway at Nellis Air Force Base, where it crashed Monday during takeoff. In the first reported crash of the military's next generation fighter jet, an F/A-22 Raptor slammed into the ground and exploded during takeoff at Nellis Air Force Base Monday afternoon. The pilot, whose name was not released, ejected safely moments before the crash. He was taken to Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital for evaluation. A Nellis spokeswoman said he was "up and walking around." A fire engine based at...

MilAir scanner sources indicate a new F22 Raptor has crashed at Nellis. Pilot was seen ejecting.

Defense projects with ties to the Antelope Valley will benefit from the $420.6 billion defense budget recently signed into law. The fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act, signed Oct. 28, is the final step in the defense budget process for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The final budget included an increase of $19.3 billion over the previous year. In addition, $25 billion for additional war-related costs for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom were approved. Among military hardware programs in the Antelope Valley to receive funding are the F/A-22 Raptor, the F-35 joint strike fighter and the airborne...

The first of a fleet of the world's most expensive fighter jet, the FA-22 Raptor, is being commissioned into the United States Air Force. The US military has ordered 277 planes, the first of which was due to roll out onto the tarmac at its manufacturing base in Georgia on Wednesday. It is to join a fighter squadron based close to the capital, Washington DC. The FA-22 stealth fighter can fly at 1500 km/h and still remain undetected by radar. It fires precisely targeted smart bombs and can engage hostile aircraft far beyond the pilot's vision. That is the impressive...

The first of a fleet of the world's most expensive fighter jet, the FA-22 Raptor, is being commissioned into the United States Air Force. The US military has ordered 277 planes, the first of which was due to roll out onto the tarmac at its manufacturing base in Georgia on Wednesday. It is to join a fighter squadron based close to the capital, Washington DC. The FA-22 stealth fighter can fly at 1500 km/h and still remain undetected by radar. It fires precisely targeted smart bombs and can engage hostile aircraft far beyond the pilot's vision. That is the impressive...

It started as one of the dozens of military exercises the Pentagon conducts with friendly governments each year - operations that are as much about bilateral diplomacy as about testing military capabilities. But the exercise carried out in February, involving mock combat between the US and Indian air forces over the skies of Madhya Pradesh in central India, has taken on a life of its own. The reason? The US lost. Not only did the US aircraft lose, but they lost repeatedly. According to one member of Congress briefed on the exercise, the US air force's top fighter, the F-15...

It made sense to kill the Crusader self-propelled howitzer program, a bulky cold war left-over developing so slowly it wouldn't be available before the Starship Enterprise. We also didn't need the Comanche stealth helicopter when our problem is losing choppers to low-tech ground fire. But the stealth F/A-22 Raptor fighter, with apologies to those who consider every new military project a boondoggle, we need this jet. And far more of it than Congress plans to buy. Even critics admit the Raptor is an incredible fighting machine. Slated to enter Air Force service next year, it blends key technologies that before...

Flying High By Greta Van Susteren Dear Viewers, If anyone thinks I don't have the best job, take a look at picture #1. Yesterday, I flew on an F-16 from the Nellis Air Force Base (search) and we "chased" the new F/A 22. The F/A 22 is a stealth fighter plane that can out maneuver ANY fighter plane. This is picture #1 of those I flew with on Sunday. In the center of the picture is the Raptor (F/A 22) pilot. The others include my cameraman who flew in an F-16 and his pilot and the pilot of the F-16...

Greta Van Susteren is at Nellis AFB today interviewing top Air Force Generals about the F/A -22. Coverage should be available tommorow on FNC @ 7pm.

Raptor Ready for Prime Time At a March 22 review of the F/A-22 program, the Defense Acquisition Board found no reason that USAF should not proceed with initial operational test and evaluation (IOT &E) for its new stealthy fighter. The DAB, which is chaired by acting Pentagon acquisition, technology, and logistics chief Michael W. Wynne, appeared satisfied with the aircraft’s progress despite earlier claims by some members that the Air Force was moving too quickly into IOT&E. The board met to review whether the F/A-22’s avionics had met the level of stability that was mandated for entry into IOT&E. The...

EDWARDS AFB - Rep. Bill Thomas visited Edwards Air Force Base on Tuesday, getting a chance to see for himself progress made on infrastructure improvements and the latest technology under development by the Air Force. "They have some new stuff to kick tires on now," said the Bakersfield Republican, who has represented Edwards AFB since he was first elected in 1979. The congressman's tour included visits to the F/A-22, Airborne Laser and Global Hawk programs, as well as the Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. One of the most high-profile programs in the Air...

Several hundred Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. workers who build F-16 fighter jets could soon lose their jobs as the company moves to trim down after three years of adding workers. Lockheed officials said Thursday that cutbacks are necessary because the company had hired extra workers to speed up F-16 production at its west Fort Worth plant. Other programs, including the F-35 joint strike fighter, are behind schedule. As many as 1,000 jobs assigned to the F-16 program could be cut by year's end, although a Lockheed spokesman said the number would probably be smaller as some workers are reassigned to...

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — While the F/A-22 Raptor loomed large on congressional radars Thursday, the expensive Air Force fighter jet drew praise from a top general at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Lt. Gen. William R. Looney III, commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center, called the Lockheed Martin Corp. fighter "a transformational leap" over the F-15 Eagle, the air-superiority fighter the Raptor is to replace starting in December 2005.Looney, who once flew F-15s, said the stealthy Raptor has been untouchable in mock dogfights with Eagles, even when outnumbered two-to-one."We are taking four F-22s and we're flying them against eight F-15s....

F/A-22 required for deep strike against enemy threats by Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez Air Force Print News 3/5/2004 - WASHINGTON -- Maintaining deep-strike capability is critical to future warfighting operations. In a March 3 testimony before the House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on projection forces, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley said the Air Force must continue to maintain its deep-strike capability. "(Deep strike) must be defined as the capability to achieve the desired effects rapidly and persistently upon any target set in any environment, anywhere, at any time," General Moseley said. "Simply said, we must continue to be...

The Air Force on Thursday said it is studying ways to strike deep into enemy territory in the future, and an interim solution might be to modify Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (nyse: LMT - news - people) F/A-22 fighter into a regional bomber. Air Force Secretary James Roche and his chief of staff Gen. John Jumper told the House Armed Services Committee they were examining plans to increase the size of the F/A-22, equipping it to drop precise small diameter bombs, persist behind enemy lines and maintain some supercruise capability. "That is one of the distinct possibilities," Jumper told the panel,...

The most advanced and sophisticated fighter ever created is proceeding on schedule, passing its test program with flying colors. "The F/A-22 is without question a marvelous airplane," said Lockheed Martin test pilot John Fergione. Fergione briefed attendees at the Antelope Valley Board of Trade's Business Outlook Conference Friday on the F/A-22 Raptor, the latest member of the Air Force arsenal. The aircraft's main attributes - the ability to fly supersonic without using afterburners, stealth, extreme agility and advanced avionics - are nothing new, Fergione said. What is different is to have them all in one package. "The F/A-22 is the...

For the first time in aviation history, three Air Force Stealth aircraft are scheduled to fly in formation at the 115th Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day, Air Force officials said today. A second flyover by the B-2 Spirit, F-117A Nighthawk and F/A-22 Raptor is scheduled before the Rose Bowl game later in the day. Plans call for the F-117A Nighthawk and F/A-22 Raptor to be flown from Edwards Air Force Base and the B-2 Spirit from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The F/A-22 Raptor is the newest dual-engine stealth, long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground fighter, with supersonic,...

Jumper Praises ´World´s Greatest Air Force,´ F/A-22 The Air Force´s top officer came to the Home of Air Dominance Oct. 20-21, highlighting his visit with a base-wide commander´s call. Gen. John Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, told Tyndall members he was proud of their performance for the world ´s greatest Air Force, especially during a busy transition period in the midst of war. The general spent two days in the Panama City area, serving as a keynote speaker at the National Defense Industrial Association ´s Expeditionary Warfare Conference and receiving Tyndall tours and briefings. With thousands of airmen inside...

In celebration of the past, the Air Force chief of staff got an eyeful of the present and future of flight at the world's premier flight test facility. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper visited Edwards Air Force Base on Nov. 22 as part of a Centennial of Flight celebration. The event featured aerial demonstrations and static displays of many of the current and future aircraft in the Air Force arsenal, and hosted members of the Eagles, distinguished aviators who have advanced the world of aerospace. "What we have here is the trace of history, a bloodline of...

<p>HELENA, Mont. -- Last August, armed with a blowtorch and a sledgehammer, Tom Hoffman took turns with five of his employees banging, burning and pressing a piece of metal about the size of a Volkswagen into the shape of a weapons-bay door for America's newest fighter jet. It took three men working daily 12-hour shifts more than a week to perfectly contour the inch-thick metal mold.</p>

WASHINGTON - One of the Air Force's prized - and politically vulnerable - (KRT) - F/A-22 Raptor fighter jets nearly crashed during a recent practice flight, prompting an investigation, service officials confirm. The previously unreported incident occurred Sept. 19 near Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., officials said, when an experienced F-15 pilot with less than 20 hours in the exotic new F/A-22 attempted a dogfight maneuver that sent the aircraft plummeting downward in an upside-down spiral. The unidentified pilot became disoriented as the $161 million plane plunged more than 10,000 feet from a beginning altitude of 13,000 to 15,000 feet,...

First Raptor arrives at Tyndall TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 325th Fighter Wing's first permanently-assigned F/A-22 Raptor lands here Sept. 26. Tyndall, an Air Education and Training Command installation, was selected to serve as the Air Force's primary F/A-22 training base. The aircraft was piloted by Lt. Col. Jeff Harrigian, 43rd Fighter Squadron commander here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Steve Wallace) by Tech. Sgt. Dan Neely 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs 9/29/2003 - TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- The first operational F/A-22 Raptor was delivered to the Air Force’s F/A-22 schoolhouse here Sept. 26. Tyndall, once known as...

PALMDALE - An additional F/A-22 Raptor will be built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. under a $117.6 million contract awarded by the Air Force on Wednesday. The addition, which exercises an option in the existing production contract, was possible due to reduced costs from the defense company's smaller suppliers. "It permitted us to maximize the number of aircraft under the budget cap," Air Force spokeswoman Gloria Cales said. The F/A-22 is part of the Air Force's "Buy to Budget" program, which means the service may buy as many aircraft as possible within a budget cap. The additional aircraft will be...