Announcement on F-22’s Fate Delayed

[unhappycamper]

Announcement on F-22’s Fate Delayed
February 24, 2009
AFX News

A high-stakes decision on the fate of Lockheed Martin Corp's premier F-22 fighter jet will be made known only with the release of the fiscal 2010 budget likely in April, not by March 1 as had been sought by Congress.

The Obama administration's plans for the F-22 Raptor, "like all big-dollar programs, and particularly programs facing execution problems ... will not be known until the budget is structured and released," Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary, said on Monday.

The radar-evading F-22 is the most advanced fighter in the U.S. inventory. It has become an emblem of a debate about hedging for large-scale wars versus fighting guerrillas in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and a bone of contention as the goverment looks to find funding for massive stimulus programmes to revive the ailing economy.

President Barack Obama's detailed fiscal 2010 spending plan, including for arms programs, is expected to be sent to Congress in April, after a more general summary is delivered on Thursday. Fiscal 2010 starts Oct. 1.

The F-22 has strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress, not least because of the jobs it provides, with suppliers strategically chosen to cover the country Even if the administration opts to end the program, many lawmakers are likely to fight for continued funding.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/February-2009/announcement-on-f22s-fate-delayed.html



uhc comment: Hey Guys.

This thing costs $355,000,000 a pop.