AIR FORCE OFFICIALS LOBBY FOR F-22; SUPPORTERS SAY DROPPING DEVELOPMENT OF FIGHTER IMPERILS U.S. AIR SUPERIORITY.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

Even with Congress beginning to see things their way, Air Force officials gave no sign Wednesday they are giving up their push for funding of the F-22 Raptor, touting the aircraft as ``the first-look, first-shot, first-kill'' fighter for the next century.

As the Republican leadership in Washington works to restore funding for the development program, F-22 officials and the Air Force historian told reporters the stealthy jet fighter is absolutely vital in maintaining the nation's edge in air superiority.

``If we do not go ahead with the development of the F-22, it will be the first time this nation has decided to concede air superiority to another nation,'' Richard Hallion, historian of the Air Force, told reporters just back from a flight to view an F-22 in the air. ``And that would be tragically wrong.''

The Air Force wants to build 339 F-22s at a cost of $84 million each, filling the role now held by the F-15 Eagle that first flew in the 1970s. Air Force officials said the new fighter offers stealth, improved electronic war-fighting equipment and the ability to fly at supersonic speeds without having to use gas-guzzling afterburners.

The Air Force is spending $18.9 billion for the engineering manufacturing development phase, which will produce the first nine aircraft while the design is fine-tuned. After that, the Air Force plans to spend $39.8 billion for production.

Earlier this summer, the House Appropriations Committee cut $1.8 billion for the first six production-line fighters, saying the Air Force was neglecting other needs, such as retaining pilots.

The funding cut would essentially have killed the program outright, Air Force officials say, because it would have meant shutting down work that would have cost too much to restart.

In the wake of the committee's vote, however, the Pentagon and F-22 supporters in Congress began an intense lobbying blitz. House leaders now say there will be funding for the program, but they haven't decided at what level.

As part of that lobbying effort, news media were invited to Edwards for an up-close view of two test aircraft during an actual test mission. Reporters and photographers viewed the aircraft from a KC-135 tanker that was refueling the aircraft during the 3-hour mission.

The program has already hit its major test points for 1999, said Lt. Col. C.D. Moore, the F-22 Combined Test Force director. Those points included flying above 50,000 feet and cruising at Mach 1.5 without afterburners, a device that pumps fuel into the jet engine tailpipe to boost its thrust.

The F-22 test program has logged 400 flight hours and plans to have more than 500 test hours and 5,000 different test points completed by January, officials.

The aircraft's top speed is classified, but Moore said he flew the aircraft at Mach 1.5 without the afterburner and could tell the aircraft would be capable of flying much faster.

``This is going to give us advantage over anything out there,'' Moore said.

The media briefings include a handout of copies of a magazine account of an air show in Moscow highlighting improved versions of the Russian Su-27 and Su-30 fighters and the experimental Su-37, a forward-swept wing fighter.

The briefing also included a chart of the capabilities of an F-15C, the nation's air superiority fighter, vs. a Russian Su-35. In the chart, the Su-35 is shown with a radar capability that allows it to see the F-15 and fire first before the U.S. fighter is aware of the Su-35.

``The best we can get (in that situation) is we both die,'' said Maj. Gen. Claude Bolton, the officer in charge of acquiring fighters and bombers.

Hallion compared decisions facing Congress today on the F-22 to the decisions Congress had in the 1970s when the debate was whether the F-15 and F-16 should be built.

Congress' decision to build both the F-15 and F-16 led to an unprecedented age of U.S. air superiority, the historian said.

The two fighters have shot down 130 enemy aircraft without a single U.S. fighter being lost to an enemy aircraft.

``The arguments we're hearing about the F-22 are the arguments we were hearing about the F-15,'' Hallion said.

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Photo: (color -- also ran in Valley edition) The stealthy F-22 Raptor pulls up to dock with a KC-135 tanker for refueling over Edwards Air Force Base on Wednesday. Reporters and photographers viewed the aircraft from the tanker during a media briefing.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press