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Wynne: F-22 buys must continue beyond 2009

The Air Force should keep the F-22 Raptor in production until 2013 and should buy at least another 20 F-22s in 2010, the Air Force’s top civilian official said Dec. 3.

The currently approved F-22 buy of 20 aircraft per year expires after 2009, but Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne said it would be unwise to let the production line close before procurement of the new F-35 Lightning II hits its stride early next decade.

“We’re not going to be comfortable with the [F-35] production until about 2013,” Wynne said, “so I think we should keep the F-22 program going during that period.”

Congress has approved the purchase of 183 Raptors — about 100 of which have already been delivered — but the Air Force says it needs more than that.

The 2008 defense spending bill indicates that the Air Force’s position may have support on Capitol Hill. The bill says that service may need more F-22s and suggests $526 million in the preliminary 2009 budget to begin shutting down the production line could instead be put toward buying more F-22s.

How many more could be purchased, and over what timeframe, is an open question.

Congress last year approved a three-year, 60-aircraft purchase that was intended to lock in the deal at a lower per-aircraft price, but Wynne said he does not know if a similar deal will be possible this time.

“I don’t know if there’s enough quantity out there to do a multi-year, but I do think that in 2010 there should be at least another 20 airplanes,” he said.