The World s First 5th Generation Air Superiority Fighter

After taking 25 years to develop the F-22 Raptor from conception to operational certification, the United States Air Force (USAF) produced the world’s first 5th generation air superiority fighter. This revolutionary fighter plane leveraged its very low observable stealth (VLO), thrust-vectoring and digital fly-by wire capabilities, and other cutting edge technology to produce an extremely fast, agile and lethal air-to-air combatant. Less than five years after operational certification in 2009, Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense, (SECDEF) convinced the President (POTUS) and Congress to truncate the F22 program, leaving the USAF with fewer than 187 operational F-22 Raptors. This number was well short of the 381 aircraft the USAF’s†¦show more content†¦security. The collapse of the USSR reduced the threat to the US. as the USSR no longer produced or planned to produce 5th generation air superiority fighters. By 2009 the emerging threats of Russia and China p roducing a 5th generation air superiority fighter reappeared, but this time with a much reduced risk than associated with the Cold War. These changes in the US. strategic environment did not eliminate the F-22 Raptor’s primary purpose or adversary, but the late arrival and reduced number of potential rival 5th generation air combatants made the F-22 Raptor less vital to the US. Security Strategy. In Robert Gates’ July 2009 speech to the Economic Club of Chicago, he described the F-22 Raptor as a niche capability only designed to defeat other superpowers’ highly advanced fighter planes. When the Obama Administration limited the F-22 Raptor to 187 aircraft, they did so with the full expectation that the US. possessed enough 5th generation capabilities to meet the nation’s strategic and security requirements. Gates’ decision met with many critics, primarily representatives of states that produce the F-22 Raptor components. They argued the DoD assu med unreasonable and ill-advised operational risk and created a â€Å"dangerous capabilities gap† by halting the F-22 Raptor to just 187 operational aircraft. They maintained Russia and China remain significant and growing competitors in global strategic struggles, making the F-22 Raptor a necessary capabilityShow MoreRelatedA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 PagesTalismans Picatrix Astrological Magic Aphorisms Extracts on Planetary Ritual Clothing Twenty Two Benefic Astrological Talismans Astrology, Magical Talismans and the Mansions of the Moon Ritual of Jupiter An Astrological Election of Mercury in the First Face of Virgo for Wealth and Growth XIV. Invocation of Mercury On the Decans and Tarot XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. A Brief History of Tarot The Decans in Astrology Overview of Recent Tarot Works That Reference the Picatrix Magical Uses of the Tarot ColophonRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages21st Century, First Edition Benton, Purchasing and Sup ply Chain Management, Second Edition Bowersox, Closs, and Cooper, Supply Chain Logistics Management, Third Edition Brown and Hyer, Managing Projects: A Team-Based Approach, First Edition Burt, Petcavage, and Pinkerton, Supply Management, Eighth Edition Cachon and Terwiesch, Matching Supply with Demand: An Introduction to Operations Management, Second Edition Finch, Interactive Models for Operations and Supply Chain Management, First Edition Fitzsimmons