Hold the F-22s, Order More F-35s
The Air Force will cap production of the F-22 fighter at 187 airplanes
After much lobbying and posturing on both sides, there appears to be a decision: The Air Force will cap production of the F-22 fighter at 187 airplanes, according to an op-ed by Air Force secretary Michael Donley and chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz (link requires registration) in yesterday's Washington Post. The Pentagon once envisioned ordering 740 F-22s, but economic times and strategies have changed, said the authors. The Raptor's loss is a gain for the F-35, which is also built by Lockheed Martin; the savings will help the Pentagon afford an eventual 2,443 Joint Strike Fighters, according to a recent speech by Defense secretary Robert Gates.