Today I’m off to Langley Air Force Base, home of the $300-million F-22 Raptors of the 1st Fighter Wing. Is the Raptor the greatest fighter plane ever built … or a massive turkey, as some critics contend? Finally I’m going to lay to rest all the controversy. Everybody get psyched … and look for posts and photos tonight as soon as I can get to it (stupid foiled bomb plot!).
–David Axe
Axe Visits Langley
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I thought the target cost was $85 million. I hope it ain’t $300M!
Yeah, more of your famous “balanced” reporting.
Id say he is at least as balanced as the New York Times.
Which I do respect BTW. ;D
Actually its around $140 Million per jet. Citing in the R&D costs is extremely poor reporting and is never done when factoring cost per airframe. Anyone who would have you think otherwise doesn’t really know too much.
Only $140 million per plane? Jeez, talk about bargains!
From the United States Government Accountability Office Testimony before the Subcommittee on AirLand, Senate Armed Services Committee:
“Significant delays and cost increases have affected affordability, reducing planned deliveries from 750 F/A-22 aircraft to fewer than 180.”
“The F/A-22 aircraft program is acquiring the Air Force
original program including R&D:
$63.8 billion / 180 aircraft = $354.4 million
cost of 50 additional aircraft at est. $125 million each:
$125 milllion x 50 aircraft = $6.25 billion
total program cost:
$63.8 billion + $6.25 billion = $70.05 billion
cost per aircraft:
$70.05 billion / 230 aircraft = $277.9 million
280 aircraft = $228.3 million
360 aircraft = $177.6 million
(assuming there are no further development costs or overruns)
maybe we should build so more B-2s