This is largely just a rant on poor research by the ABC, but apparently the US has finally acknowledged that fancy super weapon projects, while awesome, are little use in any of the conflicts that they seem to find themselves in these days. The F-22 is to have production halted due to being absurdly expensive and sort of pointless.

One fun quote in the ABC article, probably soon to be edited out claims that production of the F-22 started during the Cold War. I assume they got confused between the F-22 (actual stealth fighter) and the F-117A not-actually-a-"stealth fighter".

In 2009, the Pentagon spent $US2.9 billion on the planes, which cost some $US200 million each. Critics say the fighter, first made during the Cold War, has not been adapted to current conflicts.

Supporters say that there is a need to ensure US air superiority as China and Russia invest in fighter jets.

Yesterday I read the moon was 400 km away on news.com.au, That means the moon is in Mackay.

I think edits should be visible (or at least a link provided to earlier versions) in online news.

Papers have their corrections column for stuff-ups in previous editions, it probably makes them a little more careful when writing. Endless mutability with online news (coupled I guess with the desire to get new articles up fast) makes for embarrassingly poor journalism, especially for outlets like the ABC (honestly I expect retardation from news.com.au)

I suspect half the s*** they write uses just Wikipedia and Google for fact checking (I base that assertion on nothing in particular.)

The YF-22 prototype was 1990, so it's sorta right.

Nah, at best they can be said to have started the program during the Cold War. The F-22 is certainly a Cold War type of weapon, but it absolutely was not "first produced" during the Cold War.

Yesterday I read the moon was 400 km away on news.com.au, That means the moon is in Mackay.

Ummm, Mackay is a bit further than 400km from Brisbane dude, your thinking of a satellite city that didn't get launched far enough - Rockhampton

But it doesn't say "first produced", it says "first made". There's a good chance it's just part of another newsfeed too, since AFP is listed as the source.

First flight YF-22: 29 September 1990

On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union was officially disbanded

On popular topics like this I cant believe wikipedia would be wrong and YF-22 redirects to the raptor page so...

1990
Jan 13 Final assembly of first YF-22 prototype begins
Sep 29 First flight of first YF-22 prototype, piloted by Dave Ferguson
Oct 25 First USAF pilot to fly YF-22 prototype; Maj. Mark D. Shackelford
Oct 30 First flight of second YF-22 prototype, piloted by Tom Morgenfeld
Nov 13 ATF/YF-22 receives Popular Science Award for Aviation and Space
Nov 28 First live missile firing of ATF program; Jon Beesley fires AIM-9
Dec 11 YF-22s fly in formation for first time
Dec 31 Lockheed/Boeing/General Dynamics submit F-22 proposal to USAF

Prototype schmototype, the topic is the F-22, actual product, it was not made in the Cold War, the idea for it arose then, development began, but the first one was not made until 1997.

Topic: F-22 production to halt, also s*** journalism

The second bit is implied with the news.com.au link.

Prototype schmototype, the topic is the F-22, actual product, it was not made in the Cold War, the idea for it arose then, development began, but the first one was not made until 1997.

So I guess they are right, the f22 was made in the cold war.