For instance, if all of the weapons cuts proposed by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had been implemented, every major production line for military aircraft but one would have closed. And as economist Guy DuBois of Raytheon pointed out in a Dec. 8 speech, export restrictions on technologies used in military satellites have caused a steady erosion in the competitiveness of the U.S. space industry. There needs to be a better framework for reconciling economic and security policies.
The logical place to start in crafting a more sensible approach is to agree that the government should not be buying weapons just to stimulate the economy. Weapons programs always should be justified mainly on their operational and fiscal merits, meaning they must satisfy valid military requirements in a cost-effective manner.
The F-22 meets that standard, because it will guarantee global air dominance for the next 30 years -- arguably the single most important requirement for winning future wars.
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