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F-22: Necessary or Not?

The Center for National Policy welcomed experts Barry Watts and Mark Bowden to share their thoughts on whether continued production of the F-22, one of the most capable and most expensive weapon systems in American history, should have a place in the 2010 Defense Budget.

Watts, currently a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA), also served in the Air Force, directed the Northrop Grumman Analysis Center, and headed the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation in the Department of Defense. Bowden, a best selling author and journalist, recently published an article about the F-22 entitled "The Last Ace" in The Atlantic Monthly. He also wrote the book Black Hawk Down in 1999, which spent a year at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list and was later made into an award-winning film.

Mr. Watts opened with a discussion of different types of military aircraft developed by the Air Force over the last several decades. He then highlighted the fact that a breakdown in situational awareness has been the genesis of an estimated 80% of decisive engagements (defined by Watts as situations involving American airplanes in which at least one plane was destroyed). In order to combat the monumental problem of a loss of situational awareness while in the cockpit, the Air Force incorporated new technology in the F-22 that would help mitigate the problem, giving the F-22 a key advantage over other fighters.

Watts then discussed the issue of F-22 force sizing. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently decided to purchase 187 F-22s, which, according to Watts, is a "fiscally or budget driven" number "not based on any legitimate operational requirements." Although Air Force leaders wanted – even expected – more of the new systems, they may be forced to settle for the reduced number. However the CSBA expert pointed out several real world operational situations that would require more than 187 F-22s- including establishing air superiority over the Taiwan Strait. Basing his argument on data found by John Stillion and Scott Perdue of the RAND Corporation, Watts concluded that "realistically you can think of scenarios in which, perhaps, 183 isn't going to be enough."

Mark Bowden continued the discussion by contrasting how the F-22 and the Air Force's current workhorse, the F-15, display information to the pilot. He emphasized that an important advantage of the F-22 is its ability to process multiple streams of information simultaneously, and display information to the pilot in a vastly simplified manner. This technology, Bowden argued, eliminates confusion for the pilot, allowing him or her to focus on tactics and maneuvers during flight. He also pointed to the F-22's contribution to air superiority is an important American capability. While the F-15 is arguably the most successful fighter jet in history, countries such as Russia, China, and North Korea are building aircraft increasingly capable of shooting them down. With the growing threat of an aerial challenge, Bowden argues the F-22 is a necessary for continued U.S. air dominance, especially in the Taiwan Strait scenario discussed by Watts.

• Although the F-22 realistically contributes to national defense by deterring near-peer competitors its utility is limited in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the F-35 shares many capabilities with the F-22 at a lower cost. Thus, the Air Force should procure up to 203 F-22's and then shift focus the less expensive F-35. The F-22 has a role in the 21st Century Air Force, and was designed with real world scenarios in mind. However, in an era of tighter defense budgets, tough choices must be made and defense programs must be prioritized.