Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week reiterated to senior members of the House Armed Services Committee that his approach to preserving the F-22 production option for the new Administration is “prudent” and “a conscious effort to minimize risk to the taxpayer.” But, he did offer a few new details. In a Jan. 9 letter, Gates states that the decision to release only $50 million of the $140 authorized by Congress for long-lead parts and materials for more F-22s—until the new Administration decides whether to keep buying more F-22s—will not have a detrimental impact on the cost of any additional Raptors. This, he said, is because the not-to-exceed cost estimates that F-22 maker Lockheed Martin provided remain valid until March 16, by which time the Administration of President-elect Obama is required to notify Congress of its F-22 intentions. Gates also notes that the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in an amendment to its Nov. 10, 2008 directive that released the $50 million, authorized the Air Force to purchase long-lead titanium for an extra lot of 20 F-22s. Even if the Obama Administration terminates F-22 production, this titanium could still be used for the F-35 or other programs, he wrote.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.