ACC commander reacts to F/A-22 criticism

NOVEMBER 3, 2004 - Following an Oct. 27 article in the New York Times in which the author blasted the F/A-22 Raptor for being overpriced and unnecessary, CHairforce.com started planning a rebuttal using actual facts, rather than relying on the popular (albeit uncreative) "big-government-is-wasting-your-money" approach to journalism.

The commander of "America's Coolest Command" (Air Combat Command) beat CHairforce to the punch.

In response to the article, ACC commander General Hornburg released the following statement:

"Airmen will tell you that current and future air-to-air and surface-to-air threats are real. The F/A-22 Raptor is the key to defeating them. With it, we can strike deep and fast, day or night, paving the way for friendly air, ground and naval forces to operate freely.

"The F/A-22 flies faster, has greater range, outmaneuvers opponents, gathers and distributes intelligence across the battlefield and will have superb air-to-ground capabilities. It is matched to the new reality we live in, enabling us to face all threats with confidence. In short, the Raptor was designed with future, not past, enemies in mind. We have nothing like it in our current inventory.

"We don't want a fair fight in war. We should win 100-to-0, not 50-to-49. I think our airmen, soldiers, sailors, and marines deserve no less. The Raptor will help us do just that."

Very cool.
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