Gates endorses new U.S. bomber project (B-3 'Bingo' Bomber)+ D% L- t1 C. K! |3 ]+ P; \
Posted on 2009年9月17日 3:20:49 by NormsRevenge
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; e! ^ \2 v3 f4 e' U$ \* O3 w& mNATIONAL 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. , c3 ^( p2 z. k
"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. $ u2 i$ w3 G& g$ |: l6 l1 y
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."
: l, f$ M' C7 [- F; f6 k( wGates 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.
0 F$ D7 G6 r' r. r+ z6 n* c"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.
' f% a% x3 r2 g; Z/ eAs 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. 2 {: b( n; t. |7 Z" e! a% 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. + `- p* i5 B a1 C0 }
He 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. ; r2 ]. u, u8 D9 f! J% `( V
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. |