Henry J Cobb wrote:

http://www.investors.com/breakingnew...22069403&brk=1
The planes represent Lockheed Martin's single biggest product line.
Barron's
notes the estimated price tag of the jet range from Air Force
estimates of
$125 million each, to the Pentagon's more inclusive estimate of $258.9
million.

Including little details like the engines, etc.

You could buy a seagoing Navy warship from Lockheed Martin for less than
that.

One question critics have asked is whether it's necessary to have a
plane as
good as the F/A-22 is advertised to be, and not just use the latest
version
of the F-16 and the Navy's F/A-18. Barron's notes that the Air Force is
concerned that Russian and European air-defense missiles that might
be sold
to potential adversaries are getting better, and they don't want to take
chances.

But the US Navy isn't concerned about hostile air defenses? What do
they know about the French and Russians that they're not sharing with
the USAF?

-HJC
The navy had there shot at stealth with the A12 (?) and lost the boat.
Look how long it took to get the f22 where it is. And its still not
deployed in operational use. The Navy probably feels lucky to get there
enhanced f18's with the possibility of the JSF in the future.

My guess is the navy will never get another true long range fighter like
the F14 was.

Maybe they should pull some F4's out of the desert and load them up with
missiles as a RPV missile platform. Hell, there just going to blow them
up anyway. And who cares if the other guy shoots first? As long as you
get your missiles off by remote control before your launch platform is
toast. Kind of a nintendo age kamikaze.

Bob






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