Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia) December 22, 2004
Langley: No Delay In Raptor Program
The suspension of flights after an F/A-22 crash in Nevada isn't expected to set back pilot training at the Hampton base.
The crash of an F/A-22 Raptor on Monday in Nevada isn't expected to delay the timetable for getting the jets and training pilots at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.
The Air Force suspended testing of the Lockheed Martin fighter jets Tuesday following the crash shortly after takeoff Monday at Nellis Air Force Base.
The 1st Fighter Wing at Langley is set to receive the first of the operational jets in May. The wing is slated to have a squadron trained and ready to fly by next December.
"We don't expect any major impact on the F/A-22 program here," said Captain Jeff Glenn, chief of public affairs for the 1st Fighter Wing.
"When you have a limited number of planes, it could have an impact somewhere."
Glenn said the Air Force routinely suspends flights after a plane such as the Raptor crashes, until the accident can be investigated and a cause identified.
The pilot, who was conducting a training mission, ejected safely and was unharmed after the crash near Las Vegas on Monday afternoon, according to Air Force officials. It marked the first loss of a non-prototype version of the F/A-22 Raptor, designed to replace the F-15 as the nation's most powerful air-to-air fighter, according to Air Force and industry officials.
The accident comes as the Air Force this month completes critical testing of the plane's ability to meet key military requirements. If the planes pass, the Air Force is expected to seek authority to order Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin Corp. to begin full-rate production, manufacturing up to 32 planes a year. The service hopes to declare the first squadron of aircraft ready to enter combat next year.
The Raptor, one of Lockheed's premier programs, has been under pressure for years as critics complain that it was designed for a Cold War threat the military no longer faces and has limited applicability to the low-tech fight being conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan. The $72 billion program has also fallen behind schedule, and the price per aircraft has escalated from an estimated $119 million in 1992 to $258 million, including research and development costs, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Air Force and Lockheed executives have defended the program, describing it as essential to providing an overwhelming response to future military threats. The Air Force has said it needs 381 of the aircraft but can afford only about 270. "We expect the F/A-22 to transform warfare and provide the air dominance needed to ensure ... freedom of movement for all joint and coalition forces," said Air Force spokesman Doug Karas.
Air Force accident and safety committees will investigate the crash, the second at Nellis since November, said spokeswoman Capt. Maureen Schumann. The last crash involved a Navy F/A-18, she said.
The Air Force lost nine aircraft in fiscal 2004, which ended in September. Those incidents resulted in two fatalities.
The crash occurred at 3:45 p.m. Pacific time (6:45 p.m. EST), Schumann said.
Lockheed has delivered 31 of the planes to the Air Force, including eight to Nellis and others for testing and training at Edwards Air Force Base in California and Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.
Flights of all types of aircraft, including the F/A-22, were suspended Tuesday at Nellis. Tyndall and Edwards are also "doing a safety stand down" for the F/A-22, said Karas, the Air Force spokesman. "This is a precautionary stand down."
"The Air Force will investigate the accident and apply what is learned to improve flight safety of the F/A-22 Raptor," Karas said. "There should not be a long-term impact to the F/A-22 program."
But the timing of the crash "is unusually bad as it empowers F/A-22 opponents to argue the plane requires more testing before entering full production," Heidi Wood, industry analyst for Morgan Stanley, said in a research note Tuesday.
If the accident was caused by a nonmechanical mishap, like a pilot error or impact with a bird, it will not have a significant impact on the program, said John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org. *
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