Wire: House Breathes Life Back Into F-22 Program

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2009 -- Newswire services this afternoon reported Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-22 program got an unexpected lift Wednesday after House lawmakers approved $369 million to continue production of the radar-evading fighter jets.

The amendment, likely to reopen a debate over the necessity of the planes that cost $140 million each, was approved by the House Armed Services Committee. Republicans largely backed the measure and were joined by a handful of Democrats in a 31-30 vote.

The Associated Press said the extra funding was adopted as part of the 2010 Defense Department spending bill mark-up. The bill still needs to make its way through the full House and Senate.

On Thursday, The Hill reported that a key House defense authorizer predicted that Congress will likely fund as many as 20 more F-22 Raptor fighter jets, despite the Obama administration deciding to kill the Lockheed Martin contract after the 187th airplane is delivered.

The final F-22 plane will be delivered by the end of 2011 or early 2012, after which the production line in Marietta, Ga., is slated to close.

But Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Armed Services Air and Land Forces subcommittee, said at a breakfast with reporters on Thursday that there will likely be support in Congress to buy as many as 20 more planes, The Hill said.

(Report from newswire sources.)

Sources:
Rep. Abercrombie predicts more F-22 purchases
House committee adds $369M for Lockheed's F-22 jet

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