By Emelie Rutherford
Watchers of Lockheed Martin‘s [LMT] F-22 stealth fighter program hoping to learn by March 1 if the Obama administration plans to continue or terminate the jet’s production are out of luck.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell confirmed yesterday the fate of the aircraft program will not be revealed until the detailed fiscal year 2010 defense budget request is submitted to Congress. That submission is expected in April, though the topline defense budget figure will be announced today.
“Bottom line is, we’re not going to make a decision based upon the future of the F-22 program outside the budget process; that’s the proper context for making a decision about a program of this consequence,” Morrell told Defense Daily yesterday, after discussing the issue at a mid-day press conference.
Lawmakers added language to the FY ’09 defense authorization act stating that the president must submit a certification to the congressional defense committees by March 1 stating whether continuing or terminating F-22 production would be in the best interests of the nation.
Yet Morell said: “We will make it clear where we are going with this program, it just won’t be by March 1.”
The Pentagon will submit more narrow F-22 information to Congress by March 1, he said, regarding the Pentagon’s use of advance-procurement funds lawmakers authorized and appropriated to buy materials for potential future F-22s.
“We will communicate with the Congress by March the 1st…I think primarily about the long-lead material funding that they provided us,” the spokesman said. “But…if they’re hoping for an answer about how many, if any, additional F-22s we are planning to buy, it will not come by that date.”
Reuters reported Monday that the decision on the F-22’s future would come with the Pentagon’s detailed budget request, instead of by March 1. Since then, lawmakers and aides said they were seeking clarity on the Pentagon’s plans. The delayed certification is not expected to sit well with a group of lawmakers who have already been battling with the Pentagon over spending all of the congressionally approved funds for long-lead F-22 parts.
F-22 backer Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) on Tuesday did not express alarm about the delay in the F-22 plans from the Pentagon.
“What we’re hearing is they may not have had the opportunity to focus on the defense budget like they’re going to need to do before they make that (F-22) decision, so it may be delayed a little bit,” the senator said Tuesday. “I just want them to make the right decision.”
Obama said during his Tuesday night address to Congress that he will “reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use.” Defense-budget watchers yesterday questioned if that definition includes F-22s.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has hesitated to continue the F-22 line far beyond the 183 aircraft ordered, supporting buying just four more aircraft in a forthcoming supplemental war-funding bill.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters last week he wants more than 183 F-22s. Sources said the air service wants 60 more of the stealth fighters.