Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week reiterated to senior members of the House Armed Services Committee that his approach to preserving the F-22 production option for the new Administration is “prudent” and “a conscious effort to minimize risk to the taxpayer.” But, he did offer a few new details. In a Jan. 9 letter, Gates states that the decision to release only $50 million of the $140 authorized by Congress for long-lead parts and materials for more F-22s—until the new Administration decides whether to keep buying more F-22s—will not have a detrimental impact on the cost of any additional Raptors. This, he said, is because the not-to-exceed cost estimates that F-22 maker Lockheed Martin provided remain valid until March 16, by which time the Administration of President-elect Obama is required to notify Congress of its F-22 intentions. Gates also notes that the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in an amendment to its Nov. 10, 2008 directive that released the $50 million, authorized the Air Force to purchase long-lead titanium for an extra lot of 20 F-22s. Even if the Obama Administration terminates F-22 production, this titanium could still be used for the F-35 or other programs, he wrote.
Active-Duty Airmen only have a few days left to submit an official waist-to-height ratio into the Air Force’s new online application. But the service clarified July 23 that this first body composition measurement is not meant to be scored as part of the new Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment, or PFRA