F-22sAggressive, Coordinated Effort Led to F-22's Demise -- Washington Post
The most remarkable thing happened in Washington this past Tuesday.
Congress scrapped the F-22 stealth fighter jet, killing off a 30-year-old Pentagon hardware program that employs 25,000 people in 46 states.
It was a dogfight almost to the end over $1.75 billion and the need to remake military readiness. Threats and promises, blunt talk and grand gestures -- all were deployed to support an appeal to common sense and for urgent change, according to principals involved. The White House coordinated the ultimately successful vote-wrangling, and its specific tactics may show up again in another epic battle now unfolding: getting Congress to draft and pass health-care reform.
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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS
Israeli missile defense system improved -- UPI
Long range anti ship cruise missile to be designed by Lockheed Martin for DARPA -- Military And Aerospace
U.S. Army Modernization Debate Begins -- Defense Tech
Navy Irregular Warfare -- Information Dissemination
Russia marks Navy Day -- Russia Today
Evolutions of the Cruiser Pt 1 -- New Wars
Brit Spy Jet Spots Targets for Killer Drones -- War Is Boring
Where to go with USAF long range bombers? -- ELP Defens(c)e Blog
Renegotiations May Save European Military Airlift Capabilities -- Defense Professionals
Bill Clinton Lauds CIA -- CBS News
Afghanistan’s fastest-growing city, Kandahar Airfield. -- Nukes And Spooks