Recalling 23 B-1B Lancer bombers from the brink of retirement may add more than $1 billion to the U.S. Air Force’s budget through 2009, Aerospace Daily reported today (see GSN, May 8).

Under a plan pushed by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld two years ago, 32 of the 92 bombers were slated for retirement.  Since that time, however, congressional armed services committees have approved proposals to keep 23 of the retired airplanes in circulation, according to Aerospace Daily.

“This is our last chance to halt the retirement of B-1s, since many are scheduled to be sent to Arizona by the end of this fiscal year,” Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said, noting that Rumsfeld’s decision to cut back on the number of bombers was made before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Under the proposals made by Congress, more than $20 million has been set aside in fiscal 2004 to reconstitute the 23 B-1s to operational status, Aerospace Daily reported.  Air Force officials, however, claim that they will need an additional $1 billion over the next six years to maintain a fleet of 83 bombers.  It’s “funding that is simply not available,” an Air Force spokesman said.

“In general, the Air Force believes our decision to consolidate the B-1 fleet down to 60 fully mission-capable aircraft resulted in significant improvements in overall fleet combat capability, and for the first time a robust, fully funded modernization program,” the spokesman said (Stephen Trimble, Aerospace Daily, June 2).

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