Debate over more F-22s must be settled by fall

[unhappycamper]

Debate over more F-22s must be settled by fall
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 13, 2008 18:40:13 EST

The Pentagon and Congress must decide by October whether the Air Force will buy more F-22s in future years in order to avoid a costly gap in production, the F-22 program’s top officer said Wednesday.

“For us to have a non-break in production ... we need to know that we can purchase aircraft (in 2009) as the appropriation comes out at the beginning of the … fiscal year,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Riemer, the F-22 program executive officer, speaking at a defense technology conference in Washington. The 2009 fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

If the Air Force waits longer to order the titanium needed to build the aircraft, Riemer said, the metal will not be available in time to avoid a pause in production.

And Riemer said some parts suppliers will begin shutting down their production lines in November, which would require the Air Force to pay more money to reopen those lines.

The fiscal 2009 budget request submitted to Congress Feb. 4 includes funding to pay for 20 F-22s the Air Force had already committed to buying. But it does not include funding to pay for long-lead time items — such as titanium — for more aircraft to be purchased in future years, nor does it include money to begin shutting down the production line.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/02/airforce_f22_production_080213w/



uhc comment: $355,000,000 a pop. That's almost 2/3 the cost of a 300% (over estimated cost) LCS ship.