F-22 & C-17 Production Lines Gets Stay of Execution?

We've all heard how the F-22 ends it's production line in 2009. Well now Reuters reports that the US House Armed Services Committee’s Air & Land Forces has recommended $3.9 billion to buy 15 Boeing C-17 cargo aircraft + an additional $523 million down payment on 20 more F-22A fighters in FY 2010.

Source: Lockheed, Boeing warplanes get boost in US Congress

leaving the next president, to be elected Nov. 4 and take office in January, to decide their fate.

This is the only problem I see. If Obama gets elected, I would worry about the fate of this extension, he has already publicly announced that he would divert a certain percentage of military expenditures (along with a host of other vital military assets) to help in aid his socialist health care plan.




[edit on 11-5-2008 by West Coast]

Obama will have to face certain realitites once elected and thats keeping key congressman happy.

The C-17 buy is really not that surprising for 2 reasons. The US needs more airlift and the C-5 re-engine program is behind and way over budget. Also, at somepoint someone was going to throw Boeing a bone (after the KC-45 deal) and the increased contract for C-17 is no doubt part of that.

More Raptors would also be a welcome addition to th USAF. The capacities of that aircraft are just being touched upon and it has evolved from a cold war legacy program to much more.

The issue I would really like to see is to have the B-52's re-engined with CMF-56's or other comercial turbofans.

The European based consortium Strategic Airlift Capability (NATO and Scandanavian) is looking to purchase 2 C-17s to help keep the line open until Congress decides. They are looking for 2 equipped with F-117-PW-100, ALE-47 countermeasures dispensers, spares, pyrotechnics, crew armor, and other equipment.

Boeing is expecting orders from the Middle East, and UK as well, to keep the line going.

Hopefully the USAF will get their order for more. They are chronically short of airlift capability and desperately need it. In February they cancelled the C-5M modernization for 62 of the aircraft. Only 47 will get the new engines because of cost, and they're looking for permission to start retiring C-5As to get more C-17s.

www.flightglobal.com...

^^ another link for you

production lines do come to an end - and yes whilst the F15 and F16 lines are still open - unless the US sells it abroad then it will close