The Pentagon's new budget request ends a number of sophisticated weapons development programs that military leaders believe are ill-suited to current global threats, but there's at least one new system in the military pipeline: an Air Force bomber that can penetrate deep into enemy airspace.
But don't expect a futuristic aircraft. Pentagon officials say the new bomber will be built based on existing systems and technology.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Air Force bomber is one of several new investments the Pentagon is making amid a new budget, submitted to Congress today, that is largely focused on cutting costs. The Air Force is requesting $3.7 billion over the next five years to develop the bomber.
Gates canceled the Air Force's bomber program in 2009, directing the service to go back to the drawing board. The previous attempt to develop a bomber suffered from trying to be "all things to all people," said Lt. Gen. Larry Spencer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaking today at the Pentagon.
The new bomber program is expected to use primarily existing systems, rather than developing new technologies that would be costly and might take many years to perfect.
It's unclear, however, what the Air Force expects the new bomber will look like, other than that it will be of a "family of systems" aimed at long-range strikes.
Robert Hale, the Pentagon comptroller, told reporters the bomber will be "optionally manned," meaning it can be flown by a pilot, but must also be able to be operated remotely, similar to the Pentagon's other unmanned aerial vehicles, often referred to as drones.
Over the past decade, a number of proposals have been made for adding to the Air Force's bomber inventory, ranging from restarting production of the B-2 stealth bomber, which closed in the 1990s, to reconfiguring the F-22 stealth fighter into a bomber configuration.
Amid Budget Cuts, Air Force to Develop New Bomber
Feb 14, 2011 – 6:48 PM
Tagged: air force, air force bomber, defense secretary robert gates, federal budget, larry spencer, lt gen larry spencer, national news, news, news and politics, obama budget, obama budget 2012, pentagon, pentagon budget 2012, robert gates, robert hale
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