F-35, not F-22, to Protect U.S. Airspace

On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:32:20 -0800 (PST), Mike
wrote:

....By 1997 officials
had suggested a "four corners" defense, maintaining alert sites in
Massachusetts, Oregon, California, and Florida. By September 11,
2001,only 14 interceptor aircraft were sitting alert in the United States.

Unbelievable, isn't it? 14 aircraft to protect the entire continental
United States... This was what NORAD was reduced to?? Pitiful.
What was the defense budget in 2001?? Who got all the money?

What if Russia had launched an old style attack with waves of Bears
and long range escorts?

Just incredible. I had thought that we had all of 16 aircraft
available on 9/11. I overestimated. This is what happens when a
country becomes grossly overconfident in its own defenses, and it's
happened before.

At times we are truly "The United States of Amnesia".

And the best is too good for America. F-35s are good enough.

TL