Senate appropriators this week moved to keep in place restrictions that prohibit the Air Force from selling its F-22A fighter to other nations, setting up a conference showdown with their House counterparts who support the idea.

During a July 18 Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee mark-up of the fiscal year 2007 Pentagon spending bill, panel Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) confirmed the measure would keep in place the so-called “Obey Amendment.”

Tacked onto the FY-98 defense spending measure by Rep. David Obey (D-WI), the provision reflected lawmakers' concerns at that time about secretive technologies planned for the F-22A being passed to potential U.S. adversaries. It prohibits the service from selling the Raptor to any other nation. Obey is now the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee.

For its part, the House last month approved an FY-07 defense appropriations measure that would allow the Pentagon to export F-22As to friendly nations when the chamber adopted a provision that would nix the nearly decade-old prohibition on such transactions.

But Senate appropriators do not appear ready to hand the Raptor -- and it's top secret components -- over to even the closest U.S. allies. Because the chambers' bills -- unless the full Senate amends the measure -- differ on selling the F-22A, the matter could become a contentious conference issue. The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY-07 defense bill on July 20.

During this week's session, senators from both sides of the aisle signaled their opposition to the idea, which has been building steam within the Air Force for several months.

Subcommittee member Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said the United States has “spent a lot of money on this technology to create air superiority,” and hinted it would be a mistake to allow a potential foe to take away the Raptors' advertised advantages by obtaining its technologies from a potential buyer.

That sentiment was echoed by another subcommittee member, Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO). “I would agree with that -- we're [at] the forefront of technology and I would be very concerned about” selling the Raptor to other nations, he said.

The looming showdown was set up after the House, in the form of an amendment to its defense appropriations bill, agreed to terminate the Obey-backed statute. The FY-07 amendment, approved late last month, was offered by House Appropriations defense subcommittee member Kay Granger (R-TX).

“While there was merit in including this provision in 1997 when it was first enacted, the provision has become unnecessary due to comprehensive safeguards enacted into permanent law under the Arms Export Control Act, which is vigorously enforced by the” Pentagon, Granger said June 20 on the House floor. “I believe this provision of this bill is no longer necessary to safeguard our technology.”

Raptor prime contractor Lockheed Martin has F-22A production facilities in several states, including: Marietta, GA; Palmdale, CA; Meridian, MS; and Fort Worth, TX, part of which is in Granger's district, according to a company fact sheet.

ITAF first reported in February that one top Raptor suitor could be Japan. A plan is being seriously debated by several Air Force general officers. A Japanese defense official has told ITAF several times that his nation is very interested in purchasing the F-22A as a replacement for its F-4 aircraft, and confirmed the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has contacted both Raptor-maker Lockheed Martin and the Air Force about buying the fighter. Also on Japan's fighter short list is the F-35 Lightning II, U.S. and Japanese defense officials told ITAF this spring

Obey explained during the recent floor debate his rationale behind pushing the 1997 amendment, saying: “Because we had given away so much technology by selling other high performance aircraft -- F-15s, F-16s -- we had to regain our technological edge. So I said, ‘Well, if that is the case, if we are going to build the [F-22A], at least let's make certain that we hang onto our technology edge this time.'”

The veteran Democrat said he is “significantly uncomfortable with” allowing the Pentagon to export the fighter and its secret components.