Gates endorses new U.S. bomber project (B-3 'Bingo' Bomber)
8 F/ S" I$ p/ t% }) Z$ N6 WPosted on 2009年9月17日 3:20:49 by NormsRevenge
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NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates threw his support on Wednesday behind an on-again, off-again plan to develop a new long-range U.S. bomber, citing the military modernization of China. ! @( z4 f3 ?! F3 D- K0 [( C+ ]
"I am committed to seeing the United States has an airborne long-range strike capability," Gates said at an annual conference of the U.S. Air Force Association, an advocacy group. 0 N8 {9 E3 ?4 C0 T
He said the United States should be less concerned with a toe-to-toe challenge from "countries like China" and "more concerned with their ability to disrupt our freedom of movement and narrow our strategic options." ) T# s; O3 m! H2 M/ F
Gates referred to investments that "could threaten America's primary way to project power and help allies in the Pacific - in particular our forward air bases and carrier strike groups." He cited the threat from cyber- and anti-satellite warfare, anti-air and anti-ship weaponry as well as ballistic missiles. ) e7 [. J& g8 k; s0 ^6 i j8 A( W6 z
"This would degrade the effectiveness of short-range fighters and put more of a premium on being able to strike from over the horizon - whatever form that capability might take," Gates said.
6 `/ A" P5 @/ f O1 M2 o8 x) v) w: L! uAs recently as April, Gates pulled the plug on a potential $15 billion effort to build a new bomber to follow the radar-evading B-2, designed by Northrop Grumman Corp in the 1980s. 5 m1 M$ ]5 ~" D$ O
"We will not pursue a development program for a follow-on Air Force bomber until we have a better understanding of the need, the requirement, and the technology," Gates said on April 6 while outlining his priorities for the fiscal 2010 defense budget.
! @, V2 ^+ y6 T Y6 G- C8 t; IHe said at the time the issue would be examined as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Pentagon's blueprint for the next four years. . u2 q, h3 k/ v8 G2 J: _/ \+ ~
In endorsing a follow-on bomber on Wednesday, "a prospective B-3, if you will," Gates noted the congressionally mandated review was still under way. |