Air Force Chief Calls New Bomber a ‘Must-Have Capability’ -- Global Security Newswire
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- The Air Force chief of staff on Tuesday said that despite a threat of continued sequestration or other deep budget cuts in coming years, he regards the service’s next nuclear-armed bomber aircraft as a necessary expenditure.
“The Long-Range Strike bomber program is one of our top three programs,” said Gen. Mark Welsh, who has served as the top U.S. air officer since August 2012. “It is a must-have capability.”
Other modernization priorities for the Air Force include new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and KC-46 aerial refueling planes.
The Air Force expects to purchase 80 to 100 of the new bombers, beginning sometime after 2020. The service has requested $379 million for research and development of the Long-Range Strike bomber in fiscal 2014. Annual expenditures for the stealthy aircraft could reach $10 billion by 2021, Defense Department leaders have told Capitol Hill.
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My Comment: You know that the Air Force wants something when it is disclosed that "black contracts" are being used to keep the funding going.
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