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| April 4th, 2008 |
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Media Contact(s): Mark Eddington or Jared Whitley, (202) 224-5251 |
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Printable Version |
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HILL AIR FORCE BASE TO RECEIVE $29.4 MILLION TO BUY F-22A MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT
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Washington – Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today confirmed Hill Air Force Base in Utah will receive $29.4 million to purchase equipment needed to perform depot maintenance on the F-22A Raptor, the Air Force’s newest and most advanced jet fighter.
Hatch said the Air Force has decided to fund the purchase of radar, engine-test and other equipment Hill A.F.B. needs to maintain this strike aircraft, which is replacing the outgoing F-15.
“Once again the Air Force has renewed its investment in Hill Air Force Base and recognized the highly specialized work that is performed there,” Hatch said. “The F-22A will play a vital role in protecting U.S interests in the 21st century. It also provides a boost to our state’s robust economy.”
Hatch helped secure a multi-year plan in the fiscal year 2007 Defense Authorization Act to buy the fighters in bulk instead of purchasing them on a yearly basis. The $400 million-plus savings the plan generated helped, in large measure, free up funds in the Air Force budget to pay for the depot maintenance equipment. Previously, the Air Force had put the equipment on its Unfunded Requirement List for fiscal year 2009 in hopes Congress would find more money to pay for the critical items.
Hatch said the F-22A Raptor is a multi-role aircraft poised to be on the vanguard of the U.S. strike force for years. This stealth fighter is admirably suited for air superiority, bombing and electronic warfare, among other roles.
“Its capabilities are unrivaled by any other fighter in the world,” Hatch said. “The same can be said about Hill and its workers. Simply put, no one does depot maintenance better. No one.”
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