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Fly
Before You Buy
Pentagon Should Test F-22 Fighter Before Purchasing
WASHINGTON,
D.C. - Taxpayers for Common Sense today endorsed an amendment
expected to be offered to the FY99 Defense Authorization Bill
by Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-AR) to ensure that the Pentagon adequately
tests the new F-22 fighter before beginning initial low-rate
production of the aircraft.
Under
the Defense Authorization Bill currently under discussion
in the Senate, the Department of Defense could begin payments
on eight F-22 fighter planes after only 183 hours of test
flights. The Bumpers amendment requires that the Pentagon,
which plans to spend $62 billion on 339 F-22 fighters, test
the first two planes for a minimum of 601 hours before putting
a $190 million down payment on the next six.
"Congress
shouldn't let the F-22 become another turkey like the B-1
bomber that was produced before it was ready," said Ralph
DeGennaro, executive director of Taxpayers for Common Sense.
"Flying before you buy is a common-sense way to make
sure that the F-22 will be worth its pricetag of $62 billion."
The B-1
bomber was another aircraft purchased without adequate testing.
As with the F-22, the Air Force agreed to advance payments
in order to save money. These "savings" ended up
costing taxpayers more than $27 billion for a B-1 bomber that
was seriously flawed. An investigation by the Armed Services
Committee in the 1980's found that concurrent testing and
production was the key flaw in the B-1 program. If the F-22
is tested for only the 183 hours called for in the current
Defense Authorization Bill, the Air Force risks committing
an even more expensive mistake.
In fact,
the Air Force had originally intended 1,400 hours of test
flights before approving low rate initial production of the
F-22. Delays in delivery, however, have led the Air Force
to agree to begin production after only 183 hours, far fewer
than for any modern American fighter. This agreement has been
roundly criticized by the U.S. General Accounting Office and
falls far below the recommended level of the Defense Science
Board. The Board recommended between 443 and 867 hours of
flying to uncover any design problems with the aircraft. In
comparison, the F-16 was flown for 1,115 hours and the F-18
for 1,418 hours prior to a decision on production.
Taxpayers
for Common Sense sent a letter to members of the Senate today
urging them to support the Bumpers amendment. |
