RAND PAF: Lessons Learned from the F/A-22 and F/A-18 Super Hornet Programs

Posted on: Oct. 19th, 2005 || Source: defenseindustrydaily.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Since the late 1980s, the U.S. Air Force has pursued the F/A-22 Raptor supersonic stealth fighter that incorporated numerous breakthrough technologies, while the US Navy developed the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet based on the existing F/A-18. Unsurprisingly, The F/A-22 program has experienced significant cost growth and schedule delays and is still in the testing stage. In contrast, the Super Hornet completed its development on cost and without significant delays and has already been used in combat.

RAND's Project Air Force looked at both programs with the intent of understanding how each project's history turned out the way it did, what underlying factors might be at work, and what lessons might be learned.

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