Maybe the pilot never saw it coming: a haunting photo.

[Chuck Dye]

A rather good article in the March 2009 The Atlantic included this photo, "the last millisecond of incoming data from the doomed Iraqi pilot’s HUD, or head-up display."



It has haunted me since.

Now it can haunt you.

[mtnbkr]

Fantastic article!

Chris

[Balog]

Great article. This struck me.

Each plane consists of about 1,000 parts, manufactured in 44 states, and because of the elaborate network of highly specialized subcontractors needed to fashion its unique airframe and avionics, assembling one F-22 can take as long as three years.

Interesting there would be such variety in sourcing.

[Standing Wolf]

Interesting there would be such variety in sourcing.

It's important to spread around as much pork as possible.

I'm all in favor of remaining king of the air; I also believe obliterating the Islamic terrorist savages September 12, 2001 would considerably have lowered the cost of remaining king of the air.

[RaspberrySurprise]

Great article. This struck me.

Interesting there would be such variety in sourcing.

It has been suggested this is done to make it harder for CongressCritters to kill projects.
"You can't cancel that or 3000 people in 44 states will lose their jobs!"

[Balog]

It has been suggested this is done to make it harder for CongressCritters to kill projects.
"You can't cancel that or 3000 people in 44 states will lose their jobs!"

Yeah, my first thought was "pork!" But still, interesting such specialized parts would be available in such diverse locations.

[mtnbkr]

Yeah, my first thought was "pork!" But still, interesting such specialized parts would be available in such diverse locations.

It might be that they're only available in diverse locations because no single area has the expertise for all of it.  Kind of like how global markets and manufacturing work, but on a smaller scale.

Chris

[Balog]

It might be that they're only available in diverse locations because no single area has the expertise for all of it.  Kind of like how global markets and manufacturing work, but on a smaller scale.

Chris

True. I suppose I'm just thinking of the states and thinking "Really, they make super advanced jet parts there?"

I also like this line, which seems like something out of a guerrilla's handbook.

“If you can’t match your enemy’s technology, you can always subtract from it,” says Wayne Waller, a Virginia contractor who designs radar systems for the F‑15.

[French G.]

That whole plane could be built in one building, it's just built in 44 states for pork. Like building half a sub in CT and half in VA and then putting them together.

[mtnbkr]

Are we talking about building the jet in chunks in 44 states or that the individual parts are sourced from 44 states?  If the latter, while I'm sure there's a large measure of pork thrown in, I doubt you could come up with a factory that controlled all aspects of manufacturing of the F22 from raw materials to finished jet.  That doesn't even happen in private industry.

Track down the sources for all components of an average car.  I suspect they'll come from a number of sources as well.

Chris

[MillCreek]

The first thing I thought of when I saw the incoming AIM-7 photo was to wonder if the missile has a proximity or contact fuse.  I would have thought it would have detonated already with a proximity fuse; that sucker was pretty close.

[MillCreek]

Back in the day, I recall reading that NASA chose Apollo contractors all over the country to build Congressional support and minimize budget cuts.

[Gewehr98]

Pork seems to be the leading scapegoat in this thread, but we in the military were always leery of sole-source contracts, too. 

[Balog]

Yeah, I'd expect maybe one or two dozen sources. 44 just seems... deliberately spreading it around.

[Nick1911]

Yeah, I'd expect maybe one or two dozen sources. 44 just seems... deliberately spreading it around.

Meh, capitalist systems tend to prefer specialization.  It's cheaper that way.

I'd imagine there's a fair number of parts that would make no sense to produce in house.  Electronic components come to mind (Microcontrollers, capacitors, wire, LCD screens, etc.)

Or are we talking parts specifically built for the plane?

[roo_ster]

Do read the article linked in the OP.  Well worth your time.

[Chuck Dye]

Actually, look to the links to the right of the article, there are more good things.  Despite a generally left leaning, I have never regretted my subscription. 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I have no doubt that the skills necessary to build a machine such as the F-22 are spread around 44 states because the skills are so highly specialized that this is the only way to make it work.  The kinds of talent that are needed to build such a machine are so varied, so specialized, and so arcane that they cannot possibly exist all in the same place.

My particular specialty was reverse engineering bytecode that runs on PowerPC virtual machines.  To my knowledge, there are only two people in the world that specialize in this sort of thing - me and the man I worked for.  I didn't do any work for the F-22 specifically (at least I don't think I did, they didn't bother to tell me where the tools I built were going to be used), but this sort of super arcane technology and only-kind-in-the-world expertise is the norm for all sorts of weapons systems like the F-22.

[vaskidmark]

i'm going to throw out a thought from Waaaay out in left field, just to see how close I can get it to the plate.

During WWII both Germany and Japan essentially maintained their rate of production of aircraft despite the best efforts of both strategic and tactical bombing on a near-constant basis.  They were able to do that by dispersing the production of parts and sub-assemblies to facilities scattered about the countryside.  Thus, even if the bejesus was bombed out of one ballbearing plant there were several others that just kept cranking out ballbearings.  What caused the downfall of the German and Japanese airforces was not a lack of parts or complete airframes, but of pilots.

Now, here's the oddball idea from left field - that DOD has intentionally scattered the production of parts as a means of preventing sabotage.

I take a size 52 jacket that buttons up the back, if anyone is inclined to think I need to be fitted for one.

stay safe/

skidmark

[jackdanson]

I have no doubt that the skills necessary to build a machine such as the F-22 are spread around 44 states because the skills are so highly specialized that this is the only way to make it work.  The kinds of talent that are needed to build such a machine are so varied, so specialized, and so arcane that they cannot possibly exist all in the same place.

Agreed, plus think of the strategic implications.  A potential enemy couldn't destroy a single complex and completely halt production, others would pick up the slack.

Also it's pork.

[Antibubba]

Isn't the Raptor the program Obama just killed?

Maybe if we just buy the improved F-15s the Israelis have made...

[seeker_two]

I've had days like this before.... 

[Gewehr98]

It's a misconception that the current administration "killed" the F-22.

F-22 Raptors will still continue their production run, but it will cap at 187 fighters from the previous 194. This will be partly offset by the cheaper, single-engine F-35 in all its multi-service variants.

We learned a lot about dispersal of war materiel manufacturing and basing, thanks to Pearl Harbor, Germany, Japan, etc.

It left a lasting impression on some, including President Eisenhower, who thought that the Autobahn was a darned good idea for moving troops and equipment cross-country in time of war.  Hence the Interstate.

And those long straight stretches of interstate in the Great Plains sans trees, utility poles, etc?  Part of SAC's SIOP, and still very much part of the game plan.

[MillCreek]

And those long straight stretches of interstate in the Great Plains sans trees, utility poles, etc?  Part of SAC's SIOP, and still very much part of the game plan.

Now that is interesting, and something that I did not know before.  Kind of like what Sweden does. 

[MillCreek]

It left a lasting impression on some, including President Eisenhower, who thought that the Autobahn was a darned good idea for moving troops and equipment cross-country in time of war.  Hence the Interstate.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation, out in the middle of nowhere in the southeast corner of Washington state, had an extensive highway system built from the very beginning of construction back in the early 1940's.  This was because Hanford was a key part of the Manhattan Project, and President Roosevelt thought that the workers and residents of the Tri-Cities should have a fighting chance to evacuate if the crude reactors of the time went kablooey or were bombed.  Even today, the Tri-Cities has very, very good freeway access, more so than one would expect for an urban area of the same size.

I have not checked, but I wonder if Oak Ridge is the same way.