“Stealth technology demands significant trade-offs in range, security, weapons carriage, sortie generation, and adaptability. Stealth provides no advantage in conflicts such as those in Afghanistan or Iraq (since 2003), and (despite its obvious utility) it cannot guarantee success in future struggles with a near-peer adversary. Most importantly, the cost of F-22s and F-35s threatens to reduce the size of the Air Force’s fielded fighter fleet to dangerously small numbers, particularly in the current fiscal environment. These facts suggest that the Air Force should reconsider its long-standing position that fifth-generation fighters are the only option for recapitalizing its fighter fleet.”
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Niemi, a test pilot and squadron commander, continues the criticism of the Air Force’s new F-22 fighter jet, which cost $358 million each and are designed to fight enemies from the Cold War. POGO has been a frequent critic of the F-22’s design, cost and oxygen-deprivation problems, and we are glad to see knowledgeable pilots like Niemi coming out against how and why this plane was procured. Read a summary of Niemi’s arguments on Battleland or the full 30-page article.
“The Air Force and Lockheed both knew of the design flaws associated with the [F-22 life support system] for ten years before and failed to correct this deadly flaw that killed a pilot, destroyed a half-billion dollar aircraft and placed all F-22 pilots and these aircraft at unacceptable risk,”
according to a source inside the F-22 program. Read more at ABC News.
“The statement is so full of caveats it is unclear what nature of reports have been produced or are being written. It is also not clear when a ‘final written report’ would be produced, let alone made public. In other words, the Air Force has given us zero confidence its reporting will be complete and reliable.”
Defense expert Winslow Wheeler on the Air Force’s handling of the severe oxygen problems that have been plaguing their new, and extremely expensive, F-22 Raptor fighter jets. Read more at the POGO blog.
GOP congressman defends pilots for speaking out about F-22 →
Theses pilots risked their careers by coming out about the problems with the F-22. Thankfully, Rep. Adam Kinzinger is standing up for these brave whistleblowers. Read more at The Hill.
In a rare interview, two F-22 fighter jet pilots speak out about why they are refusing to fly the brand new jet.
No 'root causes' found for F-22 failures, Air Force says →
After an investigation, the Air Force is still uncertain of why pilots of the brand new F-22 fighter jet were blacking out while flying the jets, even at altitudes where oxygen deprivation would not normally be an issue. Read more at The Hill.
