Pentagon says can ill-afford more top fighter jets

The U.S. Defense Department told Congress it could ill-afford more top-of-the-line F-22 fighter aircraft than now in the pipeline, partly to protect another Lockheed Martin Corp fighter, the multinational F-35.

Continued purchases of the radar-evading F-22 could "jeopardize the Department's ability to procure the F-35 in the quantities required to maintain affordability," John Young, the Pentagon's chief arms buyer, told a House of Representatives Armed Services panel on Wednesday.

The Pentagon last week released $50 million in bridge funds to preserve a decision on future F-22 production for the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama. That amount was $140 million less than provided by Congress.

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