[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 36 (Wednesday, March 19, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1157-H1158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       LOCKHEED MARTIN TO ROLLOUT F-22 ON APRIL 9 IN MARIETTA, GA

  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado, 
[Mr. Skaggs].
  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for 
yielding.
  Just to complete the thought with my friend from Illinois, we just 
wanted to make sure that folks understand that our purposes are not to 
eliminate disagreements, which are inevitable, given the strongly held 
views that we have on the many important issues facing the country.
  What we do believe is that we can replace what was becoming ever more 
sour debate among us with healthy debate which will live up to the 
expectations that I think the country and we hold for this institution.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I rise today to 
celebrate what I think is going to be a very historic moment in the 
national security of this country. On April 9, 1997, in Marietta, GA, 
at the Lockheed Martin plant we will have the rollout of the F-22.
  I rise today along with my colleague from the 7th District of 
Georgia, [Mr. Barr], to talk about this historic event and to say that 
it marks the dawn of air dominance for the United States of America in 
the 21st century. The F-22 will be the fighter for the United States of 
America in the future.
  The F-22 contains three major characteristics that will allow the 
United States of America to maintain the air dominance that we have 
been able to maintain in every major conflict over the last 40 years. 
Those three attributes, those three assets, are:

[[Page H1158]]

 stealth, integrated avionics, and supercruise.
  Folks, this is one heck of an airplane that Lockheed Martin has put 
together, and I rise today with my friend from Marietta to celebrate 
this historic moment.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the 7th District of 
Georgia [Mr. Barr].
  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague 
from the 8th District for yielding. The gentleman from the 8th District 
has been a very, very strong and consistent supporter of our military, 
and particularly recognizes the need to maintain air superiority and 
air dominance well into the next century, a role which the United 
States of America has not forsaken since the early days of World War 
II.
  As the gentleman has indicated, the F-22 fighter, which I am very 
proud to say is being assembled in the 7th District of Georgia at the 
Lockheed Martin facility at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, GA, 
is the aircraft that will do that.
  The roll-out that the gentleman mentioned on April 9, Wednesday, is 
something that I and my colleagues hope will be witnessed by Members 
throughout this Chamber as well as from the Senate. This truly will be 
an historic event, witnessing the rollout of this unique aircraft.
  This aircraft, as the gentleman from the 8th District has indicated, 
not only will fly faster than anything out there today, it will have 
stealth capabilities that go far, far beyond any aircraft in any 
country in the world, and it has the capability of delivering weapons 
systems before the enemy, whether it is an aircraft or land 
installation, even knows that aircraft is there. As a matter of fact, 
they will probably never know what hit them with the F-22.
  I appreciate again the work that the gentleman from the 8th District 
has done in working in his position on the Committee on National 
Security to ensure the appropriate funding and development of this most 
unique aircraft.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I wish to 
congratulate Lockheed Martin for the superb job they have done in the 
development of this airplane.
  I also wish to congratulate the U.S. Air Force for the work that they 
have done in moving this project forward.
  Mr. Speaker, we look forward to April 9.

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