Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced his 2010 budget request in April to the applause of many of Washington’s nattering nabobs. Advocates of nuclear disarmament praised Gates many programmatic cuts without understanding their implications.
One cut will be particularly felt, that of the Next Generation Bomber. This new bomber was set to replace our aging B-52s and B-1Bs around 2018 (there are 76 of the former and 50 of the latter in active service).
At 47 years of age, the youngest B-52 is older than the average American by more than a decade. Those that remain are the oldest airframes in the United States Air Force and are incapable of penetrating defended airspace. The nation’s B-1Bs are expensive to maintain and also unable to penetrate defended airspace.
This leaves the United States with one long range bomber that can penetrate advanced air defenses. With only 19 B-2s in active service, the United States is on the cusp of an unprecedented decline in long-range strike capability and the stability of the nuclear triad.
When it comes to preventing nuclear war, the bomber leg of the U.S. deterrent triad (Inter-continental ballistic missiles –ICBMs – and submarine-launched ballistic missiles – SLBMS – are the other two legs) is the primary tool for strategic signaling. If, for example, a nuclear armed adversary were to begin challenging the United States the President could begin signaling US intent in a very public way.
Rolling bombers onto the flight line could be the first step in escalation. Next, they could then be loaded with nuclear munitions. If our adversary does not back down, bombers could be placed on alert—as they were during the Cold War. Then, they could begin flying missions with nuclear ordnance aboard. Finally, bombers could be forward deployed to the same region as our adversary.
Each step in this escalation ladder is designed to deter the adversary from acting aggressively and, in the case of nuclear weapons, can only be accomplished by the manned bomber leg of the nuclear triad.
If the United States wants to remain a viable superpower and maintain its ability to strike an adversary anywhere and at anytime, the president, Congress, and the American people cannot overlook the role our bomber fleet plays in preserving our national security.
Eliminating the Next Generation Bomber is not a wise decision.
Dr. Adam Lowther is a defense analyst at the Air Force Research Institute and co-editor of “Terrorism’s Unanswered Questions.”
One cut will be particularly felt, that of the Next Generation Bomber. This new bomber was set to replace our aging B-52s and B-1Bs around 2018 (there are 76 of the former and 50 of the latter in active service).
At 47 years of age, the youngest B-52 is older than the average American by more than a decade. Those that remain are the oldest airframes in the United States Air Force and are incapable of penetrating defended airspace. The nation’s B-1Bs are expensive to maintain and also unable to penetrate defended airspace.
This leaves the United States with one long range bomber that can penetrate advanced air defenses. With only 19 B-2s in active service, the United States is on the cusp of an unprecedented decline in long-range strike capability and the stability of the nuclear triad.
When it comes to preventing nuclear war, the bomber leg of the U.S. deterrent triad (Inter-continental ballistic missiles –ICBMs – and submarine-launched ballistic missiles – SLBMS – are the other two legs) is the primary tool for strategic signaling. If, for example, a nuclear armed adversary were to begin challenging the United States the President could begin signaling US intent in a very public way.
Rolling bombers onto the flight line could be the first step in escalation. Next, they could then be loaded with nuclear munitions. If our adversary does not back down, bombers could be placed on alert—as they were during the Cold War. Then, they could begin flying missions with nuclear ordnance aboard. Finally, bombers could be forward deployed to the same region as our adversary.
Each step in this escalation ladder is designed to deter the adversary from acting aggressively and, in the case of nuclear weapons, can only be accomplished by the manned bomber leg of the nuclear triad.
If the United States wants to remain a viable superpower and maintain its ability to strike an adversary anywhere and at anytime, the president, Congress, and the American people cannot overlook the role our bomber fleet plays in preserving our national security.
Eliminating the Next Generation Bomber is not a wise decision.
Dr. Adam Lowther is a defense analyst at the Air Force Research Institute and co-editor of “Terrorism’s Unanswered Questions.”
