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| Maintain F-22 Fighter Supremacy Till 2030, US Air Force Needs $9 Billion Budget |
Washington - The US Air Force (USAF) says, to maintain the supremacy of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet until 2030, a budget of at least 9 billion US dollars is needed. This budget excludes the need for operating and maintenance costs.
The US Air Force revealed this in a statement before the US Congress, as reported by Air Space & Forces Magazine. It added that the figure assumed the 32 oldest F-22s were retired from USAF service.
The USAF left the decision in full to the US Congress. It said that if Congress did not approve of the 32 F-22s being withdrawn from service, it would have to reconsider the bigger budget issue. The USAF also reminded that the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) Program is being worked on as a sixth generation fighter platform for the USAF.
The USAF's proposed F-22 expenditure for the 2024-2028 fiscal year amounts to $4.2 billion plus an additional $1.74 billion for completion in 2030, and $3.2 billion for research, development, testing, and evaluation.
The total budget needed for the F-22 is USD 9.06 billion by the end of this decade. This amount, said the USAF. And, this amount does not include operating and maintenance costs. The largest component of that cost, the USAF continued, was for sensor upgrades. Other components included modifications to the Link 16, identification, friend-or-foe systems, trainer and simulator modifications, position anti-clocking/anti-spoofing, navigation and timing improvements, and Pratt & Whitney F119 engine modifications. 22.
Other major procurement efforts included Link 16 modifications, identification, friend or foe systems, trainer and simulator modifications, anti-clock position/anti-spoofing, navigation, improved timing and Pratt & Whitney F119 engine modifications, as well as other system modifications.
For your information, currently the US Air Force has approximately 185 F-22 Raptors.