US Air Force Redesigns F-22 Fighter Jet Program

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, September 18, 2002

US Air Force Redesigns F-22 Fighter Jet Program

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US Air Force Secretary James Roche announced Tuesday that the Air Force is redesigning its new-generation Raptor stealth fighter as the Pentagon is still pondering how much fund it will provide for the decade-old program.

Roche said at a news conference that the air-to-air fighter would be renamed from F-22 to F/A-22 and outfitted with a different radar system, new weapons and enhanced air-to-ground capabilities.

The Air Force had asked for more than 300 of the F-22s, built by Lockheed Martin Corp. to replace the aging F-15 Strike Eagles. But the Pentagon is reportedly considering cutting production to about 180.

By redesigning the fighter and promoting its ground-attack capability, officials are hoping to persuade the Pentagon to buy more. Congress has capped the program at 37.6 billion dollars.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper said the changes were results of studies done after Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld asked the services to review their weapons programs as part of an effort to build a lighter but faster military force.

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