If the grounded F-15 A-D fleet truly is broken and can’t be brought back to service, it might be possible to get the F-22 production rate up from 20 a year to 24 right away, but not beyond 30, according to USAF’s strategic planning director Maj. Gen. Paul Selva. Lockheed Martin has produced the F-22 at 24 a year and could go as high as 30. To go beyond that would not be easy, and it’s not just a matter of money, Selva said. The supplier base could not easily gear up for larger numbers, and it would cost “billions” to expand Lockheed’s facilities, then find, train, and certify workers to build the airplanes. “This is what happens when you take your defense industrial base down to bare minimums,” Selva said.
B-21 Raider First Flight Now Postponed to 2023
May 20, 2022
The Air Force says the B-21 Raider won't make its first flight until 2023; about a six-month delay from the last official estimates. No reason was given for the delay. While other programs have recently chalked up schedule slips to supply chain and labor shortages, the Air Force has said…