Lockheed Martin and the USAF will preserve F-22 tooling following the planned completion of production in 2012.
The retention of the tolling will allow future major modifications to be made to the aircraft, and for the production to be re-opened if required. A 2010 Rand study showed the F-22’s supply chain could be reactivated after a two year gap.
The USAF has capped its F-22 orders at 187 aircraft, of which about 130 are ‘combat coded’ and one has been lost in an accident.
