US Air Force Failed to Properly Assess Impact of Retiring Some F-22 Raptor Jets – Report
Sputnik International
2024-06-19T00:45+0000
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Air Force is planning to retire its Block 20 tranche of F-22 Raptor interceptors without first documenting and presenting to Congress the full implications of its decision, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) cautioned in a new report.
“The US Air Force proposed to divest – [that is] retire – its F-22 Block 20 aircraft without fully documenting the implications,” the report said.
Block 20 Raptors have not been upgraded with advanced capabilities like the rest of the fleet, raising concerns about training and readiness.
“In its proposal to Congress, the Air Force didn’t note key details. Congress didn’t have enough data to make a decision,” the report added.
Lockheed Martin estimated upgrades would cost $3.3 billion and take 15 years but did not provide supporting data, according to the report.