Senior civilian U.S. Defense Department officials and the U.S. Air Force are fighting over whether to increase funding for new B-2 bombers, the Washington Times reported last week (see GSN, Dec. 11).

Civilian Defense Department officials, led by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, want the air force to restart production of the B-2, according to the Times.  Pentagon officials said the air force’s five-year plan has no funding for long-range bombers, even though U.S. President George W. Bush has called for weapons with global reach.

B-2s have gained more support, due in part to the expanded use of joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs), which allow bombers to conduct the same precision strikes as fighters, according to the Times.  Although JDAMs are not as accurate as laser-guided weapons, they are still accurate within a few yards of a target and are unaffected by poor weather conditions.  A B-2 bomber can carry up to 16 JDAMs, while the air force F-16 fighter can carry only two, the Times reported. 

“Bombers have resurrected themselves,” said an air force source.  The source added that the stealth capabilities of B-2s make it very useful against countries with more advanced air defenses, such as Iraq.

Air Force Secretary James Roche, however, opposes the production of new B-2s, the Times reported. A Pentagon official said Roche becomes “downright emotional” if the idea is mentioned.  As an alternative to new B-2s, Roche has proposed the development of a “supercruise” bomber later in the decade, officials said.

The air force is concerned that any new B-2s would reduce funding for the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, according to the Times.  A plan under discussion among Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s staff is to reduce the F-22 order from 339 to 150, and to use the saved money to build new B-2s.  The air force has some B-2 supporters, but they have said the funding should come from the U.S. Marines’ V-22 Osprey or the U.S. Army’s Commanche helicopter, instead of the F-22, according to the Times. 

Pete Aldridge, the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, voiced his support for both the F-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter last week.  “When we get the F-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter, we’ll have, with essentially all-stealth capability … the ability to just dominate the sky over any adversary,” Aldridge said (Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times, Dec. 26).

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