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Fighter Jet Fix
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n April 1998, the U.S. Navy announced its decision to buy 20 Super Hornet fighter jets from the Boeing company, at a cost of $2 billion dollars.A few weeks later, the Commander of an elite Navy fighter wing reported that if a war came, his squadron of F-14 fighter jets would not be able to fight. Just two of his 14 jets were ready for combat. His pilots were only getting half the amount of flight training they needed to stay sharp. In the Commander's words, "We no longer have the tools to do our job." Last year, more than 1,000 pilots walked away from the Air Force. Meanwhile, the Air Force spent more than $2 billion developing another sophisticated fighter, the F-22 Raptor. In this episode, America's Defense Monitor takes a close look at the Super Hornet and the F-22. Are decision-makers in Washington clinging to these costly programs at the expense of our fighting forces? You might be surprised at how far the US military is willing to go to get its fighter jet fix. Featured Experts:
James P. Stevenson,
Author
Randy "Duke" Cunningham,
Member of Congress and Former Fighter Pilot
Dr. Williamson Murray,
Charles Lindbergh Fellow
Al Piccirillo,
Colonel, US Air Force (Ret.) and F-22 Program Manager, 1983-1987 Produced:
April 25, 1999
Price: $39
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