F-22 will come in two flavors

I knew that two major upgrades -- Increment 3.1 and 3.2 -- were coming down the road for the F-22. But I didn't know that the USAF can only afford to upgrade 80 jets with the latter increment.

Increment 3.1 adds the long-awaited ground radar mapping mode and enters production next year.

Increment 3.2 adds the multifunction advanced data link, the AIM-9X and the AIM-120D.

The combined bill for both upgrades amounts to $8.3 billion, or about $44 million per aircraft.

Here's Young's statement:

I think there have been some comments today with raising concerns about the department's support for F-22.  It may be a finer degree of detail.  You're dealing with a very appropriate and high- level picture. 

But the department was on a path in the '09 budget to have 100 Increment 2 and Increment 3.1 jets, and then a smaller fleet of about 80 3.2 jets -- significant differences in capability. 

To get more jets to the full Increment 3.2 capability, to make them full-up rounds, $6.3 billion of R&D is requested to go back into F-22 and approve that architecture and back-fit all those jets.  This department has tentatively put that in the POM 10 budget to make that F-22 fleet that we have and have bought capable.

Young doesn't mention that there's also another major upgrade -- Increment 3.3 -- a bit further down the spiral acquisition trail. I believe this is the version that would include an electronic attack capability. I wonder how many jets are being lined up for this upgrade?