WASHINGTON Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Monday recommended ceasing production of the radar-evading F-22 Raptor jet fighter, cutting back other expensive, high-tech weapons systems and shifting resources into counterinsurgency campaigns such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan . Instead of more money for missile defence, future combat systems and bombers to prepare for a possible conventional war against Iran or North Korea, Gates' proposed budget calls for more helicopter crews, reconnaissance and surveillance. The cuts in lucrative defence contracts, however, are likely to draw the ire of Congress, where lawmakers will fight to retain contracts and defence-related jobs in their districts, especially in an economic crisis. In addition, critics charge that Gates' proposed $534 billion budget cuts too much of the military's equipment and training for conventional warfare. Lockheed Martin , which produces the F-22, lobbied for weeks to save the programme and now threatens layoffs. The aircraft costs a hefty $140 million a piece. Lockheed could be the beneficiary of Gates' decision, however, for he proposed capping production of the F-22 at 187 and replacing the F-22 with Lockheed Martin's F-35, or Joint Strike Fighter. Gates requested $11.2 billion to build 30 F-35s by September 2010 , the end of the 2010 fiscal year. The F-35s would serve the Air Force , Navy and Marine Corps , unlike the F-22, which is intended solely for the Air Force . At a news conference, Gates conceded that his budget would be controversial and have many opponents within the military community. The argument of critics is that conventional war weapons take longer to build than the more basic equipment needed for irregular warfare. In addition, the critics say, China, Russia and many developing nations, such as Iran and North Korea, are beefing up their equipment and could become threats to the U.S. or its allies. Gates said that since 9/11, his department's budget hasn't properly reflected the nation's military priorities because most the funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan came through supplemental bills, not the department's base budget. Usually, the department's budget is as much a mission statement as a financial plan. Under the Bush administration, however, some of the biggest costs weren't reflected in the base budget. If troops needed equipment in Iraq or Afghanistan, for example, the military services would often request it in a supplemental budget. Since the Obama administration announced that it would include more of the war costs in the base budget, members of the military have been scurrying to save programmes that were easily funded in better economic times. The department needs a budget that funds "the wars we are in today and the scenarios we are most likely to face in the years to come, while at the same time providing a hedge against other risks," Gates told reporters. He called the debate between conventional and irregular warfare "artificial," saying the two threats can overlap. The budget spends 10 percent on irregular warfare needs, 50 percent on traditional fighting and 40 percent for dual purposes, he said. The proposed budget calls for an additional $11 billion to expand the Army and Marine Corps but halts the expansion of the Air Force and Navy. The plan calls for the Army to expand to 547,000 soldiers it had 512,000 in January 2007 but shrink to 45 brigade combat teams from 48 because Gates favors a more streamlined force. He also proposed increasing special operations forces by 2,800.