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Total aquisition cost for 218 aircraft is estimated at $80billion of which about 1/2 has already been spent. Total production cost(included in the $80b) is capped at $36.8billion. GAO seems to imply in the report that production costs are likely to continue to rise and that either more money will be needed to buy 218 aircraft or the # of aircraft to be procured will continue to decline.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04597t.pdf

<i>Reuters, 03.24.04, 6:18 PM ET

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. senator with the most say over federal budget priorities vowed Wednesday to "save" Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (nyse: LMT - news - people) $71 billion F/A-22 fighter jet program which the Air Force calls critical, notably to counter China's growing clout.

"As far as I'm concerned, we're going to save the F/A-22," Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, said at a defense panel session of the Appropriations Committee that he chairs.

"This system is needed," he said of the aircraft designed to replace the F-15C as the top U.S. air-to-air fighter.

Critics have urged the program be killed or cut in favor of cheaper alternatives, including remotely piloted aircraft and the much cheaper Joint Strike Fighter being developed by Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed.

Potential adversaries are pursuing "capabilities that threaten the dominance we enjoy today," Air Force Secretary James Roche said in prepared remarks to the panel. He mentioned China alone by name in this section of his remarks.

Beijing has purchased "significant numbers" of advanced surface-to-air missiles, he said, citing a risk of wider proliferation.

"China has also purchased, and is developing, advanced fighter aircraft that are broadly comparable to the best of our current frontline fighters," Roche added.

Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper introduced to the panel three U.S. F-15 pilots who recently flew against Russian-built SU-30 fighters and other advanced warplanes during exercises with the Indian Air Force.

Results of those war games would be presented to the committee in closed session, Jumper said, adding that he expected lawmakers would find them "very interesting."

Separately, the Air Force's chief weapons buyer, Marvin Sambur, said four F/A-22s flying test missions against eight F-15Cs had "killed" them all before the F-15Cs could launch a single missile.

Sambur told a Senate Armed Services panel that the Pentagon's top acquisition official, Michael Wynne, had all but cleared the F/A-22 to enter the next phase of its operational testing next month.

The Air Force has agreed to buy 22 more F/A-22 fighters from Lockheed for less than $110 million per airframe, not including the engines, Sambur said. He said the declining "flywaway" price, which does not include the development costs, would let the Air Force buy at least 277 F/A-22s by 2013.
</i>

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

"US Snipers, Providing surgical strikes since 1776"

I want the F-22, but I am believing less and less in the supposed "superiority" of Flanker at the merge. SAMs (and age) are the real problems for F-15.

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Did you all see the engine trials of the P&W F119 going up to 39,500 lbs. of thrust?! Shoot, with two of them you could build new build F-4's or F-111's and it'd be damn near as potent as nearly any of today's fighter aircraft!

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

No.

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

why would you want either one of those? (F-4 F-111)

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

If the JSF works out, then I can live with 6 squadrons of F/A-22's, with the Raptor serving as a speciality aircraft for the first days of wars. But that's contingent on the JSF working out, and the program coming within budget and satisfying the basic requirements, and that's no guarantee

Edited by - viperttb on Mar 28 2004 4:53 PM

Thanks boomer <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

wonderful aircraft that have done their job well and have moved on to that big heated hangar in the sky lol

P.S. Y'all better brush up on yer pits , cause next week will be "Name That Cockpit"

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
<img src="http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/atengun2X.GIF" border=0>

_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.