Schwartz takes up fight for more Raptors

[unhappycamper]

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has said he will ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates for more F-22s -- but he won't say exactly how many more.


Schwartz takes up fight for more Raptors
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 20, 2009 17:38:36 EST

Just a few weeks before a congressional deadline, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters Tuesday that he soon will ask Defense Secretary Robert Gates for more F-22 Raptors.

Schwartz wouldn’t say how many of the stealthy fighters he will request, only that the total will be “less than the 381” the Air Force has said it needed since 2002.

Congress, which has approved only 187 Raptors, set a deadline of March 1 for President Barack Obama’s administration to decide whether to purchase more.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen said in December that he and Schwartz had talked about buying 60 more F-22s, which would bring the total to 243.

Schwartz said he “wouldn’t dispute Admiral Mullen’s characterization ... but as I indicated, I have yet to discuss this with the secretary of defense, and I think it would be appropriate that I share my military advice with him first before doing so publicly.”


Rest of article about this $355 million dollar wonder at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/02/airforce_F22_schwartz_022009/%2e

[saigon68]

1. That's $86,265,000,000.00 for 243 of these

A lot of jobs

too bad there aren't any hungry of homeless people in the US or (Veterans among that lot)

</sarcasm>

[Angleae]

2. Actually, the total cost will go down with a larger order.

The development costs being distributed among a greater number of planes.

[pasto76]

3. from what I understand, this platofrm is not operational

has it flown combat missions yet?

Yes, it is an impressive jet. Maybe take 5 planes off the order and fully fund the ground troops first.

I dont approve of developing an F35 JSF while we are engaged in iraq and afghanistan.

Something about having run around in Iraq for 8 months without body armour, or any hope of vehicles that actually provided protection (we used 8x8 timbers on the sides of our trucks...) makes me bitter about this kind of spending. I feel its putting the cart before the horse.

SGT PASTO