November 16, 2007:
The annual Pentagon budget battle is over and the aircraft crowd got most of what they wanted. Major purchases for 2008 include; 52 UH-60 transport helicopters, 44 UH-72 scout helicopters (a new aircraft model), 29 CH-47 heavy transport helicopters, 24 F-18E/F carrier based fighters, 18 EA-18G navy electronic warfare aircraft (a new model), 26 of the new V-22 tilt-wing transports, three E-2D radar aircraft, 2 MH-60S navy search and rescue helicopters and 2 MH-60R navy anti-submarine helicopters, 20 F-22A jet fighters; nine C-130J transports, 12 F-35 jet fighters (for testing and development), 24 Predator UAVs, 5 Global Hawk UAVs, and hundreds of smaller UAVs.