Posted on 12/18/2009 12:20:30 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Pentagon's delayed funding for a new Air Force long-range bomber is likely to be included in its fiscal spending for 2011. The on-again-off-again program has been in limbo since U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates froze it earlier this year, saying it should be assessed in the Defense Department's Quadrennial Defense Review, which reviews weapons programs every four years.
Initial assessments of that review, officials say, suggest the need for both manned and unmanned long-range strike capabilities.
"We are probably going to proceed with a long-range strike initiative coming out of the Quadrennial Defense Review and various other reviews going on," Gates told U.S. troops recently in the contested city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq.
"We are looking at a family of capabilities, both manned and unmanned."
Gates froze the 2010 bomber request last April because the Air Force had not fully outlined the requested parameters, including payload and range of the bomber. It also did not clarify whether the proposed bomber should carry nuclear weapons in addition to conventional ones.
Now, Air Force officials say they have a clearer idea of what they want.
Gates' remarks on the plane project brought a sigh of relief from U.S. defense companies that have been complaining about ailing development programs in recent years.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
The Socialist Democrats will squander that money before it can be spent on defense.
Oh- they were outclassed by the Old Lady of bombers- the BUFF!
Both the B-1B and B-2 are still in service.
The new bomber will be the final manned U.S. strategic bomber. It’s going to be all robots from now on.
There are rumors of the B-3 bomber
Is it named the Ombomber?
Global Security has an article on the B-3 Bomber. I will link them to you:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/b-3.htm
Area 51 has a massive new hanger. I think it’s likely to be a B3 hanger. Something possibly hypersonic and as stealthy as the B2.
I’m hoping there’s enough inertia in the system to stop the democrats when it comes to the manned space program and defense. We’ll see.
waste of money without fighters to keep them in the sky.
I agree with you.
It’s funny that top right one is Soviet.
You are correct.
I think that they were using it as an example as that type of technology.
Indeed. But it’s old school compared to the rest :)
I agree.
What would be the benefits or non benefits of building a plane with manned and unmanned capabilities ? or would either or be unnecessary ?
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