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US F-22 fighter jet crashes in California
Washington (AFP) March 25, 2009 A US military F-22 aircraft, the world's most advanced fighter jet, crashed in the southern California desert Wednesday, an Air Force spokesman said. "An Air Force F-22 crashed at about 10:00am (1700 GMT) approximately 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Edwards Air Force Base, California," US Air Force spokesman Richard Johnson said. The jet left from Edwards on a test mission, he said, adding: "One pilot was on board. His condition is unknown." The pilot was an employee of the aircraft's manufacturer, US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, said Mike Strickler, a spokesman at Edwards Air Force Base. The Air Force said the crash was the second involving an F-22. "The first one was during the aircraft's test and evaluation period in December 2004, also at Edwards, during which the pilot ejected safely," it said in a statement. Conceived during the Cold War, the F-22 has been criticized for being poorly suited to the counter-insurgency warfare the United State faces in Afghanistan and Iraq. With the US military's budget coming under pressure amid an economic crisis, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said plans to build more F-22 Raptors might be scaled back along with other costly weapons programs. The Air Force has defended the program, pointing to continued conventional military threats from countries such as China. "Its combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability represents an exceptional leap in war fighting capabilities," an Air Force statement said. "The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force." Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com
Why The F-22 Is Vital Part 8 And 9
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Mar 24, 2009 The return of Russia as a world power comes after a brief, economically driven absence in the late 1990s. Russia has been through periods of inward retrenchment before. However, with control over massive oil and gas reserves, Russia has re-emerged as a powerhouse. Now that nation is causing friction around its borders on issues from energy supplies to missile defense. New member states of the U.S.-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization have been particular targets. |
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