AREA LAWMAKER SEES NEW TROUBLE FOR B-2 PROGRAM; STUDY MAKES CRAFT HARDER TO JUSTIFY.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

The Pentagon's recently released study on the nation's military needs has made even tougher the difficulties faced in Congress by the B-2 stealth bomber, U.S. Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, said Wednesday.

Debate on whether to build more B-2s will resume after the Memorial Day break. Supporters of the B-2 will seek to have $350 million to reopen B-2 production included in the House National Security Committee's defense bill.

``It's going to be an uphill battle,'' McKeon said. ``I'm not very optimistic.''

Last year, McKeon, whose district includes the B-2 plant in Palmdale, was able to push through $495 million for the B-2 program. That effort, which paid for turning a test aircraft into an operational bomber, succeeded by only three votes in the House.

This year's battle will be even tougher, McKeon said.

Northrop Grumman, builders of the B-2, estimates it would cost $9.3 billion to build nine more bombers beyond the 21 already authorized by Congress. Of that amount, $1.6 billion is needed to rebuild the production line and supplier base already lost as the program winds down.

Northrop Grumman has delivered 19 B-2s. The 20th B-2 will be delivered to the Air Force later this year and the last B-2 will be delivered in early 1998.

The Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review argues against buying more B-2s, stating further production would take away money needed from other programs.

Existing weapon systems would have to be retired to help pay for additional B-2s and even then that would not be enough to offset the large, upfront investment for more bombers, the report said.

``And, there would be a loss in war-fighting capability during the decade or more between when the outgoing forces were retired and all the B-2s were delivered,'' the report said.

The report did, however, praise the B-2's capabilities, particularly in the early phases of a conflict.

``The analysis showed that in a majority of the cases examined, additional B-2s deployed quickly to a conflict could improve our ability to halt an adversary's advance during the opening days of a major theater war,'' the report said. ``This was especially true in cases where there would be little or no warning of the conflict or where our tactical aircraft would be restricted in their access to the theater.''

The B-2 program employs approximately 2,000 people in the Antelope Valley, including about 400 on the flight test program at Edwards Air Force Base. The flight test program is scheduled to be completed in late June.