Sun, Jun 14, 2009
Legally, We Can't/Won't Sell Them Overseas
When Defense Secretary Robert Gates
decided to end F-22 production after 187 of the advanced fighters
are built, Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye (D), chair of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, and other lawmakers began talking about
exporting the planes. Originally, 243 F-22's were expected to be
built by Lockheed Martin.
According to The Washington Post, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff
General Norton Schwartz told Congress that the military requirement
for the F-22 remains at 243, but he said at a Heritage Foundation
event on Thursday that 187 would be "sufficient" and "adequate" for
the U.S. Air Force to fulfill its mission of securing the
skies.
House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI)authored an
amendment in 1998 to ban foreign sales of the F-22 overseas.
Schwartz aslo cited numerous technical issues that would make
reconfiguring the aircraft for export very expensive. He also
questioned whether the production lines would still be open by the
time any new export law could be crafted and passed.
Some congressional aides see a potential softening among members
on the export issue, considering recent developments in such
hotspots of the world like North Korea. Japan is particularly
interested in the aircraft. One aide, who asked not to be named by
the Post, also said the technical issues could be resolved, since
95 percent of the F-22 components were also used in the F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter.
Still, the F-22 production line is already prepping for
shutdown, and General Schwartz is not optimistic about continuing
the program. "The pragmatic obstacles are very substantial," he
said. "The technical, legal and timing aspects of this are very
significant."
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