Sir Charles

With the F-35 coming online and cheaper than the F-22, we don't need the F-22.

CALL911

iTrader: (17)

You can't be serious!? The F-35 besides being stealth has about 0% in common with the F-22. So saying the F-35 should replace the F-22 adequatly is like saying the a Honda Accord should be able to fill the shoes of a C6 Z06.

We need the F-22. We also will need the F-35. The problem here isn't replacing one with another, its that we need numerous things, and can't afford all of them, and so we must prioritize correctly. Hench why getting less F-22's right now is a good thing given that we need other things more.

Sir Charles

Actually our policy makers are not going to be buying anymore F-22's and dumping Government funding into the F-35 program. It's not about which is better, it's all about which is cheaper.

Governement spending - always buy from the lowest contractors bid. With the recession....how do you think they are going to spend the tax payers money?

If we are talking about better, then we should have went with the YF-23 but you cab thank former President Clinton and his administration for buying the F-22 just so they can boost the income in his part of the States where he is from.

From a mechanics point of view, the F-22A is a piece of junk!

CALL911

iTrader: (17)

They are not taking specific F-22 money and putting it towards the F-35. They are seeing that the total sum of what they have to spend needs to go elsewhere. It just so happens that after years and years of bugs, the F-35 project is finally getting sorted out (if you think the F-22 is a maintainers nightmare, wait for the F-35), and since it is almost ready for full production (years late and WAY over the initial projected cost), they are now diverting funds towards it. They also will be using money not spent on the F-22 for other programs and issues needing more immidiate attention than the F-22.

But all of that does not mean that the F-35 can do what the F-22 can. The F-22 is a direct fighter roll (like the F-15C). They won't be using it for dropping bombs unlike the F-35 that is meant more of a multi-fighter attack, meaning it will drop bombs and be used in the same mannor an F-16 would that if it had air to air targets, and there were no F-22's in the area (or F-15C's for that matter) that then they might be granted permission to engage. This happened in the gulf war with the F-15E (Strike Eagles). They would get radar contact with Iraqi Mig's and want to engage, and AWACS would send them away and bring in the F-15C's for the kill as they were much more capable.

jmurray87

iTrader: (1)

Whoa whoa, the F-22 is far superior then the F-35 technology wise. As to why we are not selling the F-22 to any other country, the F-35 will be sold to other countries.


The F-35 is quite an amazing plane though, I see it test fly quite often my dad (retired AF) now works on them for Lockheed....awesome plane.