That the Air Force will only give the thumbs up on the F-22 in order for it to escape an incredibly destructive force of nature is pretty telling, from a bureaucratic and engineering standpoint. But don’t expect this means the fighters are back: “This is a one-time flight authority to get out of the area affected by Irene,” said an Air Force spokesperson. Let’s just hope that if we ever need to use them to blow things up, there’s a corresponding hurricane in the area to get them moving. [AirForce-Magazine.com via Galhran]
EckyThump
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 8:41 AMThey may not be as expensive as the F35, but they aint cheap brudda! #]
MotorMouth
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 11:16 AMThe F-22 is actually more expensive than the F-35 ($150million v $122million). It’s bigger and better in every way but The US won’t sell them to anyone else. The F-35 will be a cracker once it is ready for production and we would be stupid not to be involved in what will be the pre-eminent combat aircraft for the next two decades or more.
Ribsi
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 12:36 PM100% true. Research yank Kotaku, research.
Nick
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 2:48 PMActually, F-35′s are up in the $200 million mark now. Wikipedia isn’t always the best source, as they are using the old ‘estimated’ cost. Due to the huge amount of R&D, maintenance issues and other general problems and delays with the program, the cost has risen by roughly 80 million. It’s no surprise either, when they try and make a plane do everything for half the cost.
Jaxxa
Sunday, August 28, 2011 at 5:42 PMExactly what I was thinking.
I know they have been cost overruns on the F-35 but not up to the cost of an F-22
Evan
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 12:11 PMDon’t believe that the true cost of an F35 will be known until the final order quantity is known and how much it will cost to support them throughout their operational lives. The purchase price of these aeroplanes is only a part of the story!
Also don’t believe that the F35 is necessarily inferior to the F22; they are too different in purpose and performance to make a direct comparison.
Amicus Curiae
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 11:12 PM@Jaxxa: the cost overruns (compared to early baselines) projected for the F-35 would fund the entire F-22 program to date.
Amicus Curiae
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 11:15 PM@Evan: The F-35 is very inferior to the F-22 in air-to-air combat and in destruction of enemy air defenses.
Amicus Curiae
Monday, August 29, 2011 at 11:22 PM@ Sam Biddle: FYI, I think that is an old file photo of an F-22 at Hickam Field in Hawaii.