Why does the Pentagon prefer the F-35 Lightning rather than the F-22?
08:20 GMT, February 16, 2009 The Obama Administration is in an invidious strategic position, which it inherited from the preceding administration. Not only must it grapple with the worst economic meltdown in recent memory, but also it must prevail in the protracted Global War On Terror, and maintain America’s long-term strategic position that is critical to global stability. To achieve the latter it must maintain and recapitalise the US fleet of Cold War era combat aircraft, a task that is not simple given the extent to which the Bush Administration neglected and arguably mismanaged this effort. Central to whether the US can maintain its global strategic posture is having sufficient numbers of F-22 Raptor fighters, as the Raptor is the only production combat aircraft prior to the “2018 bomber / NGB,” which can operate and survive in advanced contemporary and emerging threat environments. Evolutionary advancements in the technology used in Russian and Chinese fighter aircraft, Surface t
