NYT Celebrates Death of F-22

Mackenzie Eaglen / August 03, 2009

The New York Times ran a gleeful obituary for the F-22 today in which Congress was commended for allowing President Obama and Secretary Gates to end production of the fighter at 187 frames—even though the military requirement is for 243 of these fifth-generation fighters. The Times applauds President Obama for his staunch fiscal conservatism on matters of national security and his commitment to only “spend precious tax dollars on essential equipment,” not “glitzy, self-indulgent toys.”

However, the editorial fails to mention even once the rapidly deteriorating condition and graying age of our fighter force today or the impending shortfall in American fighter fleets (detailed in a recent Heritage paper). This decision will only further erode the U.S. Air Force that has ensured the safety of American ground forces against enemy air power for the past 60 years. According to the military leaders, there will be a fighter gap of over 800 fighters by 2024 for the Air Force and 125 for the Navy. But the Times even criticizes the Senate’s (more…)