Confusion Surrounds F/A-22 Upgrade Program

John Cook wrote:
http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/new...s/03224wna.xml
...and they have stripped other projects to keep F/A-22 alive.

No wonder they need more money than the Navy and Marines combined
(killing off American shipbuilding until at least 2009), anybody know
what inside the Force itself has been gutted to feed this beast?

As a contributing factor, the GAO report contends that adding an
air-to-ground attack capability to the F/A-22 will cost $11.7 billion.

Avleak just doesn't get that the $11.7 billion is also to fix fatal
flaws in the air-to-air role, right Kevin?

you come to what I refer to as a 'regional bomber' that might have
range that is something like 75% of the B-2. The FB-22 is in that
class.

Given that we've got basing rights in 130 countries it shouldn't be hard
to find someplace in each region to base a regional bomber in. As long
as the President is a uniter, not a divider.

THE UPGRADED F/A-22 air-to-ground capability will produce a stealth
aircraft able to "defeat modern surface-to-air missiles" like the
SA-20 or S-400 family and to track and attack moving targets

Won't the Raptor-Weasel still need Growlers? And shouldn't the JSF make
at least as good a Weasel?

-HJC