REPORT: NO MORE BOMBERS; PANEL REJECTS CALL FOR ADDITIONAL B-2S.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. A panel ordered by Congress to study the Air Force's long-range bombing requirements said Friday that the existing fleet of 21 B-2 bombers is sufficient. The panel recommended that all $331 million appropriated for B-2s in fiscal 1998 should be used ``for upgrades to improve the deployability, survivability sur·viv·a·ble adj. 1. Capable of surviving: survivable organisms in a hostile environment. 2. That can be survived: a survivable, but very serious, illness. and maintainability of the 21 existing B-2 stealth bombers,'' and not to begin building any more. Rep. Howard ``Buck'' McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, and other lawmakers, arguing that the nation's long-range bombing needs were lacking, had moved to seek additional funds for the bat-winged aircraft, which had subcontractors in nearly every state. The effort was approved by the House but failed in the Senate. A compromise was reached by seeking the study. The Pentagon's leadership, as well as the Air Force itself, had argued it needed to move ahead to modernize mod·ern·ize v. mo·dern·ized, mo·dern·iz·ing, mo·dern·iz·es v.tr. To make modern in appearance, style, or character; update. v.intr. To accept or adopt modern ways, ideas, or style. its fighter force with the F-22, rather than build more B-2 bombers. The B-2s built by Northrop in Palmdale cost about $2 billion each. ``The panel investigated a wide variety of issues including the advantages and limitations of long-range air power, the value of stealth, advances in counter-stealth technology, force trade-offs, plans for new precision-guided munitions A weapon that uses a seeker to detect electromagnetic energy reflected from a target or reference point and, through processing, provides guidance commands to a control system that guides the weapon to the target. Also called PGM. See also munitions. and Department of Defense budget forecasts,'' said a statement issued at the Pentagon. The members of the panel included two former Air Force chiefs of staff, retired four-star generals Larry Welch and Merrill McPeak. It also included former Air Force Secretary Donald Rice, former Nebraska Democratic Sen. James Exxon and several business leaders. The debate over the B-2 has focused on whether a radar-evading plane with a capability to deliver nuclear weapons was still needed in the post-Cold War era The Post-Cold War era is a time period following the end of the Cold War. Its beginning is dated either in 1989, when the Revolutions of 1989 occurred in Eastern Europe and amicable relations developed between the United States and the Soviet Union, or it is dated in 1991 with the . The aircraft is now being configured to carry either nuclear or conventional weapons. Last week, the Air Force announced it is sending two of the bombers to Guam on a training exercise, the first deployment of the warplane. The exercise, which begins Monday and runs through April 3, will consist of dropping weapons at a bombing range A bombing range is an area used for testing explosive ordnance and practicing to accurately direct them to the target. Bombing ranges are used for munitions that either explode or produce too much destruction to use at a shooting range, such as kinetic energy penetrators or very , flying low-level missions, and having ground crews ``sharpen their skills at maintaining and arming their aircraft in an unfamiliar environment,'' the Air Force said. The key objective for the Guam deployment will be to determine whether flying mock combat Types of mock combat may be choreagraphed, or unchoreagraphed. Unchoreographed mock combat includes:
2. As a man's character is of great importance to him, and it is his interest to retain the good opinion of all mankind, when he is a witness, he cannot be compelled to disclose the B-2's radar-evading capabilities. No B-2 has been used in combat. Eight are operational. |
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