F-22 Gets Budget Reprieve

[Michael]

Last April, Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended capping production of the F-22 Raptor at 187 planes. Gates said the move was part of a series of changes in defense spending that he called “no-brainers.” (The F-22 has never seen action in either Iraq or Afghanistan.) Yesterday, the House Armed Services Committee “threw a wrench in the Obama administration’s plans to end” the F-22 program, voting 31-30 on a measure marking up the Defense Department spending bill that would “add $369 million in extra funding to keep production of the Air Force’s most advanced jet alive.” Six Democrats — Reps. Jim Marshall (GA), Joe Courtney (CT), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), Eric Massa (NY), Bobby Bright (AL), and Mike McIntyre (NC) — joined 25 Republicans in voting for the amendment.

Source (http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/17/democrats-f-22/)

This is really, really ugly news. The F-22 is probably the most useless and overpriced weapon system the US has in production. It serves no reasonable usage or strategic purpose.

As many commentators have noted, if the Obama administration can't even get this F-22 boondoggle cut, then he has ZERO chance of getting any other more meaningful cuts in the Pentagon budget.

That six Democrats voted for the reprive just adds insult to Obama's injury here. This is a major setback of Obama Adminstration's stated policy goals. If that's not enough, the funding for these extra aircraft is being taken from the money the military uses to deal with nuclear safety and nuclear waste issues - apparently this stuff isn't all that important! :eek:

* * *

For those unfamiliar with the details on this one, the F-22 is the US Air Force's latest greatest air-superiority fighter plane. It is also brutally expensive - even by the standards of US Air Force jet fighter planes. The US Air Force has already purchased/built 141 of these aircraft.

The reason this purchase is redundant is because of the F-35 program which has a much wider application than as an 'air superiority' fighter and is able to be converted over for Carrier operations, making the aircraft a better fit for the US military. It is also massively cheaper and only a fraction less of the performance of the F-22.

It is to be noted that the USA still maintains air-superiority against any reasonable peer competitor even using their old F-15 Eagles and/or F-18 Hornets just by numbers alone.

MIC "1" - Obama Admin "0".

F-22 Raptor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-22_Raptor)
F-35 JSF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-35_Joint_Strike_Fighter)

And what's a thread about US military without some weapon pron? (1st pic is the F-22, 2nd one is the F-35).

[Americano]

Arizona's kind of easy with the billions of defense funding poured into that state, but would anyone care to bet on whether or not the other democrats have F22 production or other defense production facilities in their states? The MIC has been around a long time and knows how to play the game. Defense contracts are let to secure political support.

[Michael]

In a remarkable development, Obama Administration has scored an amazing victory. THe Senate voted 58-40 to kill the Pentagon's desperate attempt to buy more F-22 aircraft.

The US has in fact already purchased some 190 of these aircraft. The whole debate has been about buying MORE.

The successful killing of this program is hugely significant as it represents the first time the civilian leadership in the White House has actually succeeded in killing a Pentagon weapons program in a timely manner.

This battle was 'make or break' for Obama. If he failed here, any attempt to take on the M-I-C would be doomed. Success enables the Administration to actually move on 'real' reductions in the bloated Pentagon.

Its one thing to kill a gold-plated white elephant that is massively expensive and wildly over-budget. That it was such a major fight is indicative of how disfunctional US defense spending really is.

[wphelan]

I have to give Obama credit here. However, like you said, that this cut is considered such a big victory for the administration shows how out of whack military spending in this country is.

I realize he has to start somewhere, but the overall picture of military spending hasn't changed. I hope this is a precursor to real 'change.'

[Americano]

I have to give Obama credit here. However, like you said, that this cut is considered such a big victory for the administration shows how out of whack military spending in this country is.

I realize he has to start somewhere, but the overall picture of military spending hasn't changed. I hope this is a precursor to real 'change.'

Something's going to have to change to offset the social costs we're facing due to economic decline. I just read where China is meeting its 8% growth forecast.

[Michael]

Yes, I believe the US is facing strong cost increases on the social side. This is manageable, but only if the bloated Pentagon is brought under control.

We all know that the US military spending is already equal to 50% of the entire world's total military spending.

But the fact is, US military spending is also still rising faster than anyone else's military spending. That's the truly ludicrious fact that needs to be addressed.

[Michael]

Something's going to have to change to offset the social costs we're facing due to economic decline. I just read where China is meeting its 8% growth forecast.
Apparently anything less than 6% or 7% is considered suicidal for the Chinese government, so there's no real surprise here. That's a base line minimum for China.

[Americano]

Yes, I believe the US is facing strong cost increases on the social side. This is manageable, but only if the bloated Pentagon is brought under control.

We all know that the US military spending is already equal to 50% of the entire world's total military spending.

But the fact is, US military spending is also still rising faster than anyone else's military spending. That's the truly ludicrious fact that needs to be addressed.

The problem being the US MIC has spread federal defense spending to enough states that congressional and senatorial support for reduced defense spending becomes elected politician nightmares.

Voting to reduce federal spending in any state where it will reduce funds providing jobs is currently a fast track to political suicide. I'd think current US administration had to trade some good cards to achieve the F22 concession, more for PR value than any significant spending reduction.

[Americano]

Apparently anything less than 6% or 7% is considered suicidal for the Chinese government, so there's no real surprise here. That's a base line minimum for China.

But they're meeting it. I wish the US general public would realize a negative 6% growth rate cushioned by public debt is just another form of eventual economic suicide.

[Michael]

The problem being the US MIC has spread federal defense spending to enough states that congressional and senatorial support for reduced defense spending becomes elected politician nightmares.

Voting to reduce federal spending in any state where it will reduce funds providing jobs is currently a fast track to political suicide. I'd think current US administration had to trade some good cards to achieve the F22 concession, more for PR value than any significant spending reduction.

I agree the M-I-C is quite thorough in making sure that every major defense purchase has job-components in all 50 states. For really big projects, they like to spread the gravy across 600+ congressional districts.

This is part of the reason defense procurement is so expensive. Splitting production up and spreading it out inefficiently across congressional districts is bad economics but necessary politics for blackmail leverage.

And yes, I agree that killing the F-22 does not in any way represent a 'cut' or reduction in Pentagon spending other than as pure PR optics.

Keep an eye on the "Marine Expeditionary Vehicle" - it is another bloated project that has serial failures in meeting minimum specifications, is massively overbudget and likely will be an entirely useless and non-functional vehicle in the context of US military needs. Unfortunately, it has very strong political support and is likely bulletproof in Congress.

[drgoodtrips]

Some levity, for those of you who can watch embedded videos:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_axes_pentagon_plan_to_build

[Michael]

Some levity, for those of you who can watch embedded videos:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_axes_pentagon_plan_to_build

That's hilarious! That graphics on that "Dragon Tank" are awesome! :rofl:

I also liked the little news-ticker stories running across the bottom of the frame. :lol: