Funny thing about you foreigners opintions....(F-22)

[FoverF]

The cost of later versions and blocks of F-22s is very hard to predict, since we have no idea how large the production run will eventually be, whether or not it will ever be exported, or what capabilities it will have. Also of crucial importance is the F-35 program. How far that program is developed will have a big impact on how much the F-22's production will cost, and what capabilities future F-22s will have.

Say for example that the F-35's AESA radar is cancelled, and an advanced slotted-array or passive-phased-array is used instead. This will drive the F-22's costs way up, since the two radars are to be co-produced, using the same technologies and factories. If the F-35 sells to damn near every country under the sun, then the F-22s costs will go way down, and will probably be more capable, since systems developed for the F-35 will have some application on the F-22.

If we see lots of export F-22s with (for examle) the F-35's radar, combined with high sales of the F-35 itself, and follow-on purchases of the F-22, the costs will go way down.

Or the F-35 could be cut back to 800 planes, the radar program cancelled, and few export successes, while the USAF cuts it's F-22 orders down to 200 planes, and congress doesn't allow it to be exported. Then we'll wind up with F-22s costing several hundred million each.

Too early to say yet.

[bring_it_on]

well the price of the f/a-22 is overhyped....and has been deliberately increased by people in the congress and the pentagon against the program....firstly atleast 3 to 4 times a year they review the requirent and wether the program should be totally cancelled.....this puts the contracters in a dilemma and they put the prices up........however the total no. of raptors wont decide the price per raptor(not a very big extent) it would be the declining cost of avionics and a steady no. of 25-28 raptors procured in year...their are 24 requested for 2005 along with the 19 this year......the cost needs to stabalizze as the technology improves and becomes cheaper


this is agood site
that talks just about


that

http://www.afa.org/magazine/march2003/0303FA22.asp

[motorhead_6]

{Sure, there are terrorist threats, but there are no threats that would justify the most powerful military on earth. }

Good thing we dont have to justify it.


{No-one has ever attacked the United States without being first attacked, and no-one has attacked US soil since 1814, even on those frequent occasions when it's military was drawn-down to nothing more than a name. }

Well only about 3 times in the 20th century anyway but other than that nobody has in the 20th century. Actually by three different attackers but more than 3 attacks.


{As for the issue of 'too much force', that one's a tricky one. I personally thought the US used too little force in GW2, but history seems to have vindicated them. The first Gulf War was an understandable mistake, no-one expected the Iraqi army/AF to be such a joke. }

Thats because they werent. Just because we and the rest of the coalition waxed them doesnt mean they were a joke. You didnt think they were a joke before that and neither did anybody else. They had the worlds 4th largest military. Most countries would be a lot easier to wax.

{German U boats came right up to the coast on the Eastern Seaboard and for a time they decimated American shipping. Germany's campaigns of unrestricted submarine warfare in WW1 claimed many American lives. }

German U boats sank 54 ships in Texas alone. Although we arent widely known for it we have one of the very largest deep water ports in the world and several other deep water ports also. They sank more than that on the Eastern Sea Board I am sure.

[Soviet-Spetsnaz]

The USA has not the largest military. Its military is being surpassed by far (in size) by China. Even with all that training and mostly superior equipment, I don't think the USA would be able to withstand a Chinese ambush on S. Korea as example. China would have huge losses but it would manage to drive the yanks off S. Korea.

At its current state the PLAAF is not really capable, but in the future with all that new aircrafts (MiG-31BM, Su-30 possible Su-35), Su-39), I'am sure that will change.

The army is buying the newest Russian AFV's and with (and if) T-95's the PLA will be VERY capable in defeating any other MBT's. China is becoming a real military might and who knows how powerful they are going to be in 30 years.

I'am pretty sure the Taiwan story can be a possible conflict in the future.

[motorhead_6]

Taiwan a possible conflict? Give me a break. China is going to take Taiwan. There is no doubt that if we or anybody else invaded China we would loose. But we could kick Chinas ass outside of China although it might be a Pyrrhic victory.

[pluto77189]

Originally posted by Soviet-Spetsnaz

At its current state the PLAAF is not really capable, but in the future with all that new aircrafts (MiG-31BM, Su-30 possible Su-35), Su-39), I'am sure that will change.

The army is buying the newest Russian AFV's and with (and if) T-95's the PLA will be VERY capable in defeating any other MBT's. China is becoming a real military might and who knows how powerful they are going to be in 30 years.

I'am pretty sure the Taiwan story can be a possible conflict in the future.

And that's the reason the US needs to spend mosny on things like the F-22---who the heck knows what state Cina will be in in 10-20 years? Will they be our "friends" again? will they "hate" us? will they be neutral? Who knows. the only thing we can be absolutly CERTAIN of, is that there will be MORE of them than us, and that THEY will not cease developing their military.

How we act upon that knowledge may be a deciding factor in the next several decades.

[jerre]

something you can be quite sure about is that china will keep growing and demand more influence on world policy.
This is a whole other discussion, but the chinese society is like living on a time bomb. The differences between the free economic zones and the rest of the countries is becoming very hazardous, and criminality has risen significantly. There is a growing sense of Nationalism and taiwan is provocating China recently. I think these are all very explosive situations.