Senators urge Obama to keep F-22 production lines open

[The Straight Story]

Senators urge Obama to keep F-22 production lines open
By Megan Scully CongressDaily January 21, 2009

Lawmakers are wasting no time urging the Obama administration to save the Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet, a congressional favorite nearing the end of its production cycle.

In a Jan. 16 letter to President Obama, 44 senators implored the then-president-elect to continue production of the F-22, which they said provides $12 billion in economic activity annually in the United States. The program directly employs 25,000 workers at 1,000 suppliers in 44 states.

House lawmakers who support continuing the Lockheed Martin fighter program have drafted a similar letter to Obama and plan to finish obtaining signatures today so they can try to send it to the White House this week, congressional aides said.

Congress approved $2.9 billion to buy the last 20 F-22 Raptors this fiscal year and also added $523 million in advanced procurement money should incoming administration officials opt to buy 20 more of the fighters in fiscal 2010.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=41840&sid=60

[DCKit]

1. How many solar panels would $2.9 billion purchase?

How many people would be employed? How much would be paid in taxes? How much imported oil would that $2.9 billion negate?

Just wondering.

[DireStrike]

2. Because US air superiority is threatened. By, um...

uh...

[The Straight Story]

3. By Nigeria, the pentagon got an email about how they have new planes there

and instead of checking it out invested :)

[wuushew]

4. I can't seem to find a complete list of signatories

supposedly Kennedy and Kerry signed it though, which is disappointing. The Pentagon said it doesn't want the additional aircraft.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Apparently, the recession hasn't affected the cash flow from the MIC lobbyists to the senators.

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress." - Mark Twain

[Sherman A1]

6. I say bring back the B-36

(just because I like the airplane).


we really don't need more F-22's. There is no credible air threat that our current aircraft cannot handle. If the airframes and engines are worn out, certainly replace them and upgrade them, but we don't need new types of fighters. We are heading to unilateral disarmament through excessive costs for weapon systems.

[depakid]

7. Let Australia place an order

Oz is America's major ally in the pacific region- and the only one that America could be pretty damn sure wouldn't coopt and/or pass along the technology to potential adversaies.

Australia seeks opening for F-22 purchase

Australia's defense minister said Saturday he wanted the option of buying Lockheed's F-22 Raptor — a jet fighter barred by U.S. law from sale overseas.

Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon told reporters he wanted to consider buying the state-of-the-art F-22 as part of a review of Australia's air defense capabilities. The review, announced this week, is due to be completed by the end of April.

"The Australian government doesn't have any view about whether the F-22 should be or should not be part of the mix, but we do want the opportunity to consider the F-22," Fitzgibbon said after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Gates told reporters he had no objection to the sale to Australia, but said the U.S. Congress would have to change the law. "While we in principle have no objection to it, until the statute is changed, we are not able to sell it to any country," Gates said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-02-23-australia-jets_N.htm