Re: Air Force Eyes Future Bomber 'Fly-Off'

On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 17:13:22 -0500, "Kevin Brooks"
<brooksvmi@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


"Ed Rasimus" <rasimusSPAMLESS@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:k5eo12tllp5sh1bsav3nmjhvb019oa90tt@xxxxxxxxxx

I contend that Lockheed got the contract because of their background
with the F-117 and the fact that Northrop was just rolling out the
B-2. A case of balancing the flow of defense dollars between the
players.

If decisions were indeed made upon such a pie-dividing basis, then the JSF
would have gone to Boeing. LMCO already had the F-22, and indeed was still
producing F-16's for both domestic and foreign use. Boeing had only the
remaining F/A-18E/F's for domestic consumption and whatever F-15K/S etc.
variants it can sell overseas. LMCO has the C-130J, Boeing the remaining
C-17's. But JSF went to LMCO anyway...

Brooks


All true. But, delve into your comments and consider all that has gone
before as well. The pie-division isn't the only factor. Politics plays
a lot in the process as well.

So, let's dissect:

LMCO had F-22--and numbers getting cut and cut and cut again. Hence,
small probable production run. Still producing F-16s--and JSF replaces
that in a very timely manner when full production comes. (And, let's
be sure to note what state that production line is in and how very
"blue" the Boeing home state is. Bush and Texas win, and then-Speaker
Delay is happy as well. Ain't nobody saying nice about the
administration on the western slope of the Cascades.)

Boeing's F/A-18s are fine, but Boeing also is boltered by big body
production and there is certainly a highly visible level of
quid-pro-quo occuring with protection against Airbus.

And, LMCO might have C-130J, but I've got to liken that very long in
the tooth system and it's continued acquisitions to the F-111 days. No
one wants or needs it, but they still get ordered to keep those jobs
in place.

Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
.

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