Schwartz: 187 (F-22) is enough for a single major campaign
U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz was pressed by airmen during a meeting at Elmendorf Air Force Base Jul. 6 on the future of the F-22.
"Would we like to have additional F-22s? Of course," said General Schwartz. "We have said 243 is the ideal fleet size given the things we see in front of us. Can we afford 60 more F-22s? The conclusion we came to is we can't, given the other demands we have, including production of the F-35 and supporting the current fight."
"So the decision was to discontinue F-22 production at 187 and discontinue C-17 production at 205," said General Schwartz.
When the general opened up the floor for questions, the F-22 continued to be the topic of discussion.
"How is stopping the production of the F-22 going to affect our ability to fight the current war?" asked one Airman.
"I am personally convinced that 187 is enough for a single major campaign," said Schwartz. "I have no doubt that we can prevail."
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