For F-35, Congress must heed history

History serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting air superiority, a mistake America must not repeat with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as it did with the F-22 Raptor.

In 2009, the F-22 program was abruptly cancelled after the production of only 187 aircraft — a quarter of the originally planned 750 fighters. This short-sighted decision left the U.S. Air Force with a diminished capacity to maintain air superiority in the face of evolving threats from the major military adversaries, China and Russia.

Created as America’s premier air superiority fighter, the F-22′s stealth capabilities, speed, and agility were designed to dominate any adversary. However, ongoing fiscal concerns and a miscalculation of the evolving capabilities of our adversaries led to its early termination.