The House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee wants the F-22 fighter jet to return to the production line under a new defense bill proposal, The Hill reported Tuesday.
Kristina Wong writes the subcommittee released its proposals for the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act Tuesday that seeks to restart production of the fighter jet after its closure in 2009.
Lawmakers ordered a study into the return of the aircraft to the production line amid growing concerns over adversarial activities that the subcommittee describes as “closing the technology gap†with the U.S., according to The Hill.
Defense News reported Wednesday that a 2010 RAND study estimated the cost of acquiring 75 F-22s at $17 billion based on the dollar value in 2008.
Lockheed Martin shut down the F-22 production at its Marietta, Georgia and Fort Worth, Texas facilities to comply with a order from then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
