Two Heritage Foundation scholars say the 1998 Obey amendment that prohibited export of the F-22 Raptor as a means to protect its advanced technology is based on “outdated thinking.” Mackenzie Eaglen and Eric Sayers write in a July 13 WebMemo that America’s Asian allies are “alarmed” by China’s growing defense budget and its military technological advances and developing an export version of the F-22 to sell to these key allies would “help reinforce America’s hedging strategy” in the Pacific region. They advocate rescinding the Obey amendment, purchase 20 additional F-22s to enable the production to remain open, and study the feasibility and cost of an export variant. They suggest going beyond considering just Japan, which the House version of the 2010 defense policy bill singles out, as potential buyers to include Australia (whose interest has waned) and South Korea in the Pacific and potential other nations, perhaps Israel, to help lower the cost.
Army Building Up New Space Operations Branch
Oct. 15, 2026
The Army has long been dependent on space capabilities to navigate terrain, communicate in hard-to-reach areas, and identify and strike targets. Now, the service wants to deepen its space operations expertise and is making plans to expand its own cadre of operators in the coming years.