February 10, 2009 - President Obama must certify continual production of the F-22A Raptor fighter aircraft by March 1 as required by the FY 2009 National Defense Authorization Act.
The U.S. Air Force will begin to face a critical shortage of fighter aircraft in the near future as the current fleet of aging F-15s goes off line. The proven F-22A Raptor is uniquely suited to fill this gap. Able to fly higher and faster than the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and, according to the Air Force, more survivable in aerial combat situations, the F-22A complements the multipurpose role of the F-35, which has a primarily air-to ground role.
The already allocated F-22A funds are a prudent use of taxpayer dollars that will support 25,000 high skill, high wage jobs in 44 states. IAM members make the air frame at Lockheed Martin and Boeing and the engines at Pratt & Whitney. An estimate 70,000 indirect jobs are also impacted by the program.
