Senate panel adds seven F-22s to fiscal 2010 bill

The Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday approved its version of the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill, including money for seven F-22 Raptor fighter jets that the Obama administration did not request, a Senate aide said.

Each of those planes would cost about $250 million.

The White House has threatened to veto any authorization measure that continues F-22 production or the F-35 alternate engine program. Meanwhile, the Senate bill includes funding for nine more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for the Navy than requested by the administration, the aide said.

Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., and ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., are expected to release the contents of the committee bill Thursday afternoon.