Two problems still linger for me regarding cancellation of the F-22 [but as one analyst has pointed out the last Raptor won't be coming off the assembly line until 2011 I believe which means it's not an absolute certainty that we've seen the last of it].
Firstly, all this talk about the F-35 filling the void doesn't quite jibe. For one thing, the F-35 is already two years behind schedule and nobody knows as yet whether it can live up to the hype or if in the end it will be significantly cheaper to produce than the F-22. As well, the F-35 was designed to work in concert with the F-22 at a time when it was believed there'd be several hundred F-22s not a mere 187 - it wasn't designed to act as a stand-in for the F-22. Finally, there's no fighter/bomber in the world existing or in production that can do what the F-22 does, namely, fly very high and very fast while remaining stealthy, so to say increased numbers of F-35s will compensate for decreased numbers of F-22s makes about as much sense as saying you're gonna compensate for a lack of computers by buying more blackboards [which is not to belittle the no doubt marvelous technology that will power the F-35].
But regardless one could still argue that when utility and cost are factored together the plane just doesn't make enough sense to warrant producing more - except, if that's the case, why are Israel and Japan and apparently Australia so interested in buying the plane - ie, this plane is obviously esteemed by allies and since they could essentially underwrite the production of more planes and they feel there's value in doing so, why don't we do it? Because release of the technology is viewed as a threat to national security - but doesn't that work entirely against the notion that the F-22 is a waste of money? Isn't the plane you refuse to sell to anyone because the technology is so valuable by definition a more valuable plane than the one you're willing to sell to anyone, namely the F-35?
I dunno - that's to put it too simply - still, the pieces don't quite seem to fit together here.
