The Number of F/A-22s Set at 185:

Dec. 12, 2005

The Number of F/A-22s Set at 183: USAF officials say the QDR will limit F/A-22 Raptor production to 183 aircraft (number corrected from 185 following official USAF briefing on 12/13/05). They plan to extend the production line—allowing a peak rate of 20 per year. Stretching the program this way will enable them to bridge the gap to start of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production, but they admit it will drive the per unit cost of the Raptor higher.

Related Content

CSAF: F-22 Not in USAF’s Long-Term Plan

May 12, 2021
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. wants to neck down the Air Force's fighter inventory from seven fleets to four, and the F-22 is not on his short list. The extant seven-fleet mix of fighters will need to be reduced to “four, … plus one,” Brown…

Raymond: Expect the Space Force to Provide Tactical ISR

May 12, 2021
The U.S. Space Force will move more into the role of providing space-based tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance—a role typically filled by the intelligence community—with a new ground moving target indicator capability possibly coming soon. USSF Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond said that since small satellites…

Rep. Brown Explains Support for Full F-35 Buy

May 12, 2021
The F-35 has problems, but its operational success and critical role in future conflicts outweigh them, said Rep. Anthony Brown during the McAleese FY2022 Defense Programs Conference on May 12. He urged that the services' 2022 F-35 request—as well as any congressional adds—be supported by House leaders.

Wittman Calls for $753B Defense Budget As Dems Seek Cuts to Defense

May 12, 2021
The fiscal 2022 Pentagon budget should be $753 billion, $38 more than the Biden administration's proposal of $715 billion, said Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia), ranking member of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee. Wittman's proposal is an increase from the $731.3 billion Congress approved in total defense…

U.S. Military Needs an EMS Warfare Czar

May 11, 2021
The Pentagon needs an overseer at the highest level for the joint electromagnetic warfare fight to coordinate responses to China and Russia, experts said at a Hudson Institute webinar. The services' fragmented approach can be overcome by the enterprise approach taken by U.S. adversaries, they said. Members of Congress on…

Hill F-35s Deploy to France for ‘Atlantic Trident’

May 11, 2021
F-35s from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, will take part in Atlantic Trident 21, a major France-led air exercise focused on integrating fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft. The F-35s from the 4th Fighter Squadron touched down at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base, France, on May 10. The squadron is made up of Active-duty…

Eglin Testers Load Five JASSMs onto an F-15E

May 11, 2021
The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, loaded five AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles onto an F-15E, more than doubling the Strike Eagle's normal JASSM load. The test comes about two months after the wing demonstrated that the Strike Eagle can carry up to 15…