The Hill quotes Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who supports buying additional F-22s (see above), that he is concerned that the F-22 costs about $50,000 per hour to fly, which makes it much more expensive than the F-15 it’s intended to replace. However, that dollar figure includes base standup and other one-time costs no longer applicable to the F-15, according to the Air Force. It also includes other costs solely related to a stealth aircraft. To get a more credible comparison between the F-22 and the F-15, the Air Force says to look at the variable cost per flying hour, which in 2008 for the F-15 was $17,000 per flying hour and for the F-22 was $19,000.
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
