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Originally posted by Harlequin
Its not that the F-22 is `non functional` - but its an aircraft conceieved and built for a wa thats no longer valid - the same can be said of the Typhoon;
which is why EADS are cramming as much A2G stuff into the Typhoon i the early stages as they can get ready on time; and thats the problem with the F-22 ,
Originally posted by Harlequin
www.defensenews.com...
Pentagon acquisition executive John Young says the U.S. Air Force will spend $8 billion to upgrade 100 F-22 fighters, which he said would be "lesser models" without the modifications
and the big damning report
But that's not all the next Pentagon leaders will have to debate about the super-secret Raptor, he said. He said operational tests have showed the plane is "proving very expensive to operate."
We're not seeing the mission-capable rates that we expected. And it's complex to maintain," Young told reporters. "I would highlight the maintenance on the plane is too high. They are struggling with some of the [low-observable features] and other issues."
183 + 4 is all there getting - theres more reports as well how if the ultra high maintanence requirements arnt`t kept then the LO goes through the roof to the worst case that current aircraft AESA and high end PESA can detect it at viable ranges.
a first look i think as to why no more will be bought.
edit: source link might help
[edit on 1/12/08 by Harlequin]
Originally posted by Zaphod58
That's pretty funny saying that the B-1 is only now becoming operational. I have first hand experience working on them, and they were nowhere near as bad as they were made out to be.
They had issues when I worked on them, but what plane doesn't. They are now becoming MORE effective than before with the SNIPER pod and other upgrades.
You and others like you try to make it out to be a pig, when it wasn't. And I love the line about how it's only used for National Emergencies. If that was the case why were so many deployed to Guam and Diego Garcia to use against Iraq and Afghanistan?
I'd hardly call those "National Emergencies" considering how many B-52s and B-2s were used in both countries.
Instead of playing armchair general how about getting some actual honest to god first hand experience in what you're talking about.
Not that I expect that to make any difference since you've already made your preference known. Since I'm not someone famous, my experience doesn't mean a damn thing right?
Originally posted by Zaphod58
The reason why the current cost is $200B is because they're only buying 184 of them.
If they bought them in the numbers that they wanted originally, the cost would have gone way down.
Originally posted by C0bzz
100 billion for 800 planes is likely optimistic.Total procurement cost for 183 was 33.157 billion. 800 / 183 = 4.37 x 33.157 = 145 billion.
By the time all 183 jets have been purchased, around $28 billion will have been spent on research and development. An additional $34 billion will have been spent on actually procuring the aircraft. That's about $62 billion for the total program cost. Divided out, that's comes to about $338 million per aircraft.
But the reality is, if the Air Force wanted to buy just one more jet, it would cost the taxpayer less than half that amount. The current cost for a single copy of an F-22 stands at about $137 million. And that number has dropped by 23 percent since Lot 3 procurement, General Lewis said.
"The cost of the airplane is going down," he said. "And the next 100 aircraft, if I am allowed to buy another 100 aircraft ... the average fly-away cost would be $116 million per airplane."
www.f-16.net...
That doesn't count development costs either (25 billion?). 145 + 25 = 170 billion.
Obviously the ramp up would lower the cost - but 70 billion less? That's almost half of the weapons system itself.
Maybe if you could half the price of the F-22 to 60 million each, in future year dollars; but that's not the way the cookie crumbles.
www.saffm.hq.af.mil...
Wonder if F-35 RAM technologies could be ported to the F-22 to make it cheaper to purchase and maintain.
Originally posted by StellarX
Fat chance given how the B-1's, B-2's and F-117's 'stealth' didn't seem to 'port' so well to the F-22 or apparently the next boondoggle JSF affair.
Stellar
Originally posted by Zaphod58
What, run out of sources so now you have to insult me? Good try.
As for your comment on reading a book on fixing planes try again. The only books I read on fixing them were T.O. manuals.
I have honest to god experience working on them which is a HELL of a lot more than you can say but yet you seem to think that you're some sort of genius when it comes to US military doctrine and pointing out all the mistakes it makes.
I have YET to see you show ANY kind of experience with ANY kind of military aircraft except to quote people that have a bone to pick with that aircraft as gospel.
Since you seem to be such an expert on all things USAF, explain WHY the B-1 has such a problem with the EW systems.
And then maybe you can explain the maintenance codes used to show readiness for the B-1s. Show off what an expert you are at Google and how well you can find these things.
Originally posted by Zaphod58
What B-1 "stealth"? The B-1 primarily uses shape for a reduced RCS not RAM.
There is SOME RAM on the B-1, but very very little.
As for the B-2 and F-117 RAM they were early generation.
The F-117 RAM was altered several times during its life, and some of those changes made it to the F-22. But since they had vastly different missions they had to change things.
The RAM coating on the F-22 has to be able to withstand a much higher thermal envelope than the F-117 did.
Originally posted by Zaphod58
MY condescending attitude?
Don't make me laugh. Who's the one that goes into every military thread they post in and inform everyone just how wrong they are?
Who's the one that sits there and insults people when they try to say things?
As for posting sources when you find a library with T.O.s and other manuals online or find a way for me to post private conversations online I'll be happy to provide a source for you.
Not all of us accept as gospel everyone that posts things online and ignore people that we've talked to or things that we've actually DONE.
How many of the planes that you sit here bashing have you actually worked on? None? I didn't think so.
Originally posted by StellarX
Fat chance given how the B-1's, B-2's and F-117's 'stealth' didn't seem to 'port' so well to the F-22 or apparently the next boondoggle JSF affair.
Stellar