USAF Future F/A-22 numbers

Snippets from this week’s JDW;

– The $36.8 billion spending cap imposed by Congress will allow for the purchase of 224 Raptors.

– If Congress lifts the cap, the USAF would like to spend an additional $5 billion to buy 53 more aircraft, increasing the total to 277.

– Originally, it was forecasted that 331 Raptors would be purchased, but money had to be spent on dealing with avionics software problems.

– The president’s Office of Management and Budget will review the Raptor, perhaps giving it the way of the Comanche?

– Flyaway cost is about $132 million- double that if development costs are included.

– An estimated $70 billion will be spent on the aircraft throughout its lifetime.

– “The service is holding to a December 2005 date to have two Raptor squadrons operational, although Sambur acknowledged that this may slip by a few months.

In addition to air-to-air capabilities, these aircraft will have a limited air-to-ground capacity, with the ability to deploy 1,000 lb (454kg) Joint Direct Attack Munitions at subsonic speeds, according to air force officials. The aircraft will gain the ability to drop the bombs at supersonic speeds at a later time. “

Attached Image: F/A-22 Raptors during the first two-aircraft operational testing mission on 29 April. The USAF is hoping to buy additional F/A-22s by the end of the decade
(Source: US Air Force)

*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance their understanding of arms trade activities, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I believe that this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml