Gates endorses new U.S. bomber project (B-3 'Bingo' Bomber)
/ X( }4 P, V9 aPosted on 2009年9月17日 3:20:49 by NormsRevenge9 B6 d7 L# h# ?( t& a" w
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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.
6 B+ |' a9 r( \# T3 Q3 y- S5 @2 u"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.
; G( f5 N, |$ x% I$ V/ PHe 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."
" X1 N: `: z& V& s6 z4 IGates 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. " R" b3 n2 f8 Z) B
"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.
+ j5 o6 d2 s8 ?0 l' lAs 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.
( P3 u' G' `3 a1 ["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.
! l. B8 a* p( }; q+ {- 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.
; P _6 q0 [/ a ?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. |