Satisfied With Congress Decision

The F22 is the most advanced fighter developed- but it costs a fortune.



Congress passed a vote to halt funding for the F22 program. The F22 is the most advanced fighter platform ever developed, costing $100mil+ per plane. Strapped for money, Congress (and the president) are looking at the F35 program as a replacement for an aging fleet of F16s, A-10s (The A10 is slated for service well into 2020) and F18 Hornets. For the 7 or so Raptors cancelled, about 20 F35s can be made.


The real question is simple: are we concerned with the leaness of our military or the fact that some jobs will be lost? It is like eliminating jobs on the assembly line: robots are taking human jobs as technology progresses. This parallel illustrates a common point: The F22 either has to get cheaper or alternatives need to be sought. Sorry Lockheed. People that are complaining they are going to be out of work need to be moved to other projects. As amazing as this fighter is, in the long run it will be cheaper to slim the program down than to "stimulate" a few hundred to thousands of jobs.


I agree with the president, not his rhetoric, and Congress. The F22 is an expensive weapons platform. We have adequate amounts at the moment to meet our needs (assumed). China and Russia have no intentions of attacking this nation. The Cold War produced amazing technology; but at a cost, and we are paying for it now. Adapt to the needs of the nation as they arise; the Cold War is over.


"He said 11,000 jobs will be lost by halting the F-22, while it is anticipated that 82,000 jobs will be created by the F-35.". This is the direction we need to move in then.