A Cold Front Is Approaching: Are budget pressures endangering major aircraft programs? Surprisingly, Levin says no. He does not believe that termination awaits either the Air Force’s F/A-22 Raptor or the multi-service F-35 Fighter. Moreover, he does not believe the F/A-22 would be “reduced further,” though the F-35 could get a shave. Levin did not address the Air Force push to actually increase the F/A-22 production run to 381 aircraft.
The Pentagon is counting on Congress to navigate a legislative tightrope and pass a party-line bill to fund nearly a quarter of its $1.5 trillion budget request for fiscal 2027, including billions of dollars for top priorities like Golden Dome, the F-35, munitions, and unmanned systems. Experts and lawmakers from…