The Administration proposes to terminate the F-22 Raptor program after production of the planned 187
aircraft because the Department of Defense (DOD) has determined that 187 F-22s, together with other
fighter aircraft including the new Joint Strike Fighter now in production, will be able to meet foreseeable
threats.
This proposal would terminate procurement of the F-22 Raptor after 2009 when the current multiyear
procurement contract ends. In December 2004, DOD determined that 183 F-22s would be sufficient to meet
its needs. The Administration's current plans would provide a total of 187 aircraft, including four additional
F-22s funded in the 2009 supplemental request to replace legacy aircraft lost in the war theater. Once these
187 aircraft are built, the production line will close. Both the Government Accountability Office and
Congressional Budget Office have questioned the affordability of continuing the F-22 program, at about $3.5
billion per year, while simultaneously making other large procurements, such as the Joint Strike Fighter.1,2
Moreover, several reviews within DOD, for example the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, have confirmed
that 187 F-22s, together with the planned growth in the fleet of Joint Strike Fighters to 2,443, will meet
DOD's requirements to maintain air superiority and to attack enemy forces on the ground.
Sources