F-117 to be retired

Charles Lewis · Post by **Charles Lewis** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:05 pm

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTsE ... wD8VB438G0

According to the article, one of the motivations to retire the F-117 is to free up funds for the F-22.

echoco · Post by **echoco** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:33 pm

Haha I was wondering how long it'll take them to come down to this. I thought they'd go for the F-15s first, with the accidents and everything.

Charles Lewis · Post by **Charles Lewis** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:26 am

I'm sure they'd like to, but they have too many to cheaply replace with something else. I think the article said there were only 54 F-117s built total.

MarkG88 · Post by **MarkG88** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:50 am

Charles Lewis wrote:I'm sure they'd like to, but they have too many to cheaply replace with something else. I think the article said there were only 54 F-117s built total.

JDAMS, armed UAVs, and yes, the F-22 (briefly until the F-35 gets produced eventually) made the F-117 obsolete. Its short legs, light payload and large logistics tail (due to the first generation stealth) make it prime candidate for chopping block.

The powers that be (former fighter jocks) in USAF won't be in hurry to retire F-15C anytime soon although they're using it's supposed high attrition rate due to GWOT as fodder for the F-22s propaganda machine.

MarkG88 · Post by **MarkG88** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 4:18 pm

Here is another article on the F-117 retirement from strategypage.com.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htairf ... 80313.aspx

-Mark

echoco · Post by **echoco** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:50 pm

59 build
7 lost
10 retired

leaves 42 or less, how many F-22 would that pay for, anyone knows?

costs of F-22
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... 2-cost.htm

Charles Lewis · Post by **Charles Lewis** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:20 pm

The F-117s aren't being sold, but placed into storage. However, that means ground crews that can be retrained to the F-22 and experienced stealth pilots to add to the program. Further, the Air Force wouldn't have to buy more spare parts of the F-117s. Don't know if that translates directly into more purchases, but would make it easier to support the new program.

MarkG88 · Post by **MarkG88** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 6:13 am

echoco wrote:59 build
7 lost
10 retired

leaves 42 or less, how many F-22 would that pay for, anyone knows?

costs of F-22
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... 2-cost.htm

Since it was a "black" program, no price tag has every publicly been mentioned for the F-117 as far as I know, but I'd say you could get maybe six F-22s for the lot of 42 Nighthawks

(had to deduct for "high mileage" and so forth hehe).

Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of the F-22 (it's 200-1 or so in simulated air-to-air combat last I was able to find out) but current block editions of F-15E and F-16 also do very well (and there are hundreds of F-15Es and over 1,000 "modern" F-16s). And with less than 200 F-22s planned to be built.......I want my Eagles and Falcons around for a bit (ANG and AF Reserve units will still have them for a long time to come methinks).