The “problem” is that the F-22 is being fielded during an unconventional war with a Democratic administration and Congress. It was designed and initially produced with the belief that its production line never being shut down due to politics i.e. voters and white collar jobs. We live in a current news cycle society fueled with Twitter driven by national and international perceptions and polls. These perceptions and polls drive the administration’s defense acquisition policies (along with the voting majority power in Congress and their pay back for the last eight years on the sidelines).

The current battlefield engagement strategy determines the future of defense acquisitions (look at our history and you’ll see something familiar). We’ll see how the Quadrennial Defense Review’s recommendations will be written to support the current administration’s defense acquisition strategic plan i.e. cheaper systems. Defense spending will dramatically decrease once we are out of Iraq. A smaller force will continue to kill “Taliban” fighters in Afghanistan to keep the polls in the positive.

I’m not a proponent of the F-22 or F-35 simply because we have the technology to build stealthy unmanned platforms that would be capable of surpassing any of the F-22’s capabilities. The F-35 is desired by the current administration and Congress because it can be sold for a profit to other nations. Any profits in this current recession would help pay for national healthcare and other proposed socialized programs.

Unfortunately for the fighter pilot community, computers and satellites are the future of conventional and unconventional aerial warfare. Range, speed, duration, maintenance, capability, performance and COST are significantly enhanced over manned systems due to the survival systems required for these manned platforms. The Reaper unmanned aerial killing machine is the concept of an unmanned fifth generation fighter that should be developed instead of the manned F-22 or F-35 aircraft.

Nuclear deterrence died after the cold war and the axis of evil nations are not deterred by the F-22 or “Shock and awe” bombing campaigns. Iran and Nk continue to thumb their nose at us because of the administration’s reaction to France’s polls and perceptions. They are however, “scared” to death of the Reaper though…in my opinion.

Check six.

“Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, said June 18 that a presidential veto of the $680 billion spending bill is virtually out of the question.”

“Does anybody seriously believe, given that we have troops in the field in two wars and the possibility of other deployments that may come up, that people in this country would put up with a veto?” Abercrombie asked. Besides, “it would be overridden in a nanosecond,” he said.”

The idea that the President can deal with his own party with kid gloves, and just hope to win them over by the strength of his charisma is going to be tested real soon on a variety of legislative fronts.