More Hints That The F-22 Production Line May Be Restarted

Lockheed Martin

Flight Global: USAF warms to F-22 Raptor revival proposal

At a time when budget constraints are driving the US Air Force to divest fighter and attack aircraft faster than they can be replaced with the Lockheed Martin F-35, outgoing chief of staff Gen Mark Welsh says it would not be a “wild idea” to resume production of an improved version of the F-22 Raptor air superiority jet.

The Pentagon’s latest aviation inventory and funding plan says the flying branch has “insufficient resources” to maintain the 1,900 warplane level mandated by Congress beyond the current five-year budget blueprint that extends to fiscal year 2021.

The number of combat-coded fighter jets and their associated squadrons “will substantially drop” between 2022 and 2026 before hitting its lowest level in 2031 as the Fairchild Republic A-10 "Warthog" and other long-serving fighters are retired to the boneyard.

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Update: The US may restart production of the world's most lethal combat plane (Business Insider)

WNU Editor: When there is smoke there is fire. This continuing talk of resuming the F-22 is raising hopes .... and in this case it is coming from outgoing chief of staff Gen Mark Welsh.