Taking Sides on the F/A-22

In the battle to save the F/A-22, the Air Force and Army are squared off against the Marine Corps and Navy. The Marine Corps is the big opponent. It wants F/A-22 money for its own use, and now, said an insider. The Navy, though less overt, sees F/A-22 as a rival to carrier air, especially in a China scenario. The Army, meanwhile, has come to regard USAF as a reliable battlefield partner, one which does not leave engaged Army units without air cover.