F-22 Raptor Cancelled 829
BayaWeaver writes "Slate reports that the F-22 Raptor has been cancelled by the Senate. At an estimated price tag of $339 million per aircraft, even the powerful military-industrial-congressional complex couldn't keep this Cold War program alive in these hard times. They look very cool though and have appeared in movies like Hulk and Transformers. But not to worry too much about the future of the military-industrial-congressional complex: the F-35 Lightning II begins production next year!
As a side note, in 2007 a squadron of Raptors became deaf, dumb and blind when they flew over the International Date Line."
Only $339 million each? (Score:5, Funny)
With the way the gov't is throwing money I'm surprised anything under a billion registers on their radar. They've probably got rounding errors (intentional or not) that could pay for a whole squadron of these.
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
The cost is also a little misleading. Additional units cost ~$130M each (which is still expensive as hell), the $339M figure is total program cost plus build cost divided out per aicraft. That number only decreases the more we produce. So if we ordered another singe aircraft, it would not cost $339M.
If that is the case then why don't we keep building them until they are free? As a bonus, we will have an unstoppable Air Force. Oh wait, we already did before the F-22.
Re:Most deserving (Score:5, Funny)
What's amusing to me is that if you want to education or health care funded in the US, you have to lobby Congress like hell to fund it.
What's amusing to me is that people think education or health care is a proper role for the Federal Government.
What's amusing to me is that people think education or health care is a proper role for unaccountable entities whose primary responsibility is profit.
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
no it wont. it requires extensive upgrades because the RAM or the skin of the aircraft cannot survive a rainstorm. it does not have a working heads up display on the helmet. the canopy blisters and peels with exposure to sunlight. it does not communicate with other aircraft because the electronics are deficient. it requires 44 HOURS of maint for every hour in the air. the raptor is a pile of crap and will eventually be phased out.
So it is a high maintenance dry night fighter. Reminds me of my girlfriend ...
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
Let me guess -- great reviews, but bad Nielsen #s? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Poor Title (Score:3, Funny)
What, she also has advanced stand-off capability?
It's called a .38 special ;)
Re:Poor Title (Score:2, Funny)
Is there a nation on earth that can f**k with 187 F-22s, the thousands of F-35s we have planned, not to mention the thousands of F-14, F-15, and F-16s that we already have?
I doubt it.
This isn't starcraft.
There are other things to spend money on besides weapons.
The F14 stopped flying a few years back and they've been grounding the F-15's left and right because serious structural issues. Other than that, you're pretty much correct.
Just figured as a polite foreigner, I should stop in and update you on your military.
Re:Poor Title (Score:4, Funny)
I guess this is a good time to be moving on to the F-35, then.
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, now you're nitpicking.
Re:F22 and F35 cost nearly the same (apples2apples (Score:2, Funny)
Why? The F35 is more useful in any fight we are likely to get into during the lifetime of these airplanes.
The F22 can do what the F35 can just as the F15 can do what the F16 can.
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
Marvellous. If ever the Russkies start a simulated war, we'll be knocking on the simulated door of the Kremlin in two weeks.
Re:Poor Title (Score:3, Funny)
If only you could convince the Airfarce to look before they shoot...
Re:Fat gobshite (Score:3, Funny)
Easy there. I didn't realize you were a professional asshole. I take it all back - I don't want to tangle with someone who is so far out of my league.
Re:Poor Title (Score:3, Funny)
They even suck in C&C Generals Zero Hour. Although, they don't require that much maintenance.
Re:Poor Title (Score:5, Funny)
>> As far as I know, no F-22 has ever flown a combat mission.
The F-22 fought with some distinction against the decepticons in Transformers. They suffered heavy losses, but the proof of their effectiveness as shown in this documentary was enough to convince congress to keep funding the project.
There are also several novels out there that provide additional hard proof of their combat effectiveness.
Re:Poor Title (Score:3, Funny)
I thought that the F-22 was a Decepticon?
That's why the program got canceled.