Gates endorses new U.S. bomber project (B-3 'Bingo' Bomber)
3 ^- v& O: I! g# tPosted on 2009年9月17日 3:20:49 by NormsRevenge
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w$ m* ?) _* h' z- M7 e: kNATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates threw his support on Wednesday behind an on-again, off-again plan to develop a new long-range U.S. bomber, citing the military modernization of China. + _! T" [# F& Y4 x$ {, L
"I am committed to seeing the United States has an airborne long-range strike capability," Gates said at an annual conference of the U.S. Air Force Association, an advocacy group. 0 u+ W; \" N# x4 N2 W5 S- ^+ u
He said the United States should be less concerned with a toe-to-toe challenge from "countries like China" and "more concerned with their ability to disrupt our freedom of movement and narrow our strategic options."
f9 `; p# @% n6 B4 IGates referred to investments that "could threaten America's primary way to project power and help allies in the Pacific - in particular our forward air bases and carrier strike groups." He cited the threat from cyber- and anti-satellite warfare, anti-air and anti-ship weaponry as well as ballistic missiles. 0 Q# c; |3 W& b
"This would degrade the effectiveness of short-range fighters and put more of a premium on being able to strike from over the horizon - whatever form that capability might take," Gates said.
/ k9 G9 f4 L1 b& [/ H7 |" q9 i6 eAs recently as April, Gates pulled the plug on a potential $15 billion effort to build a new bomber to follow the radar-evading B-2, designed by Northrop Grumman Corp in the 1980s.
) X+ B5 e( u8 |+ |"We will not pursue a development program for a follow-on Air Force bomber until we have a better understanding of the need, the requirement, and the technology," Gates said on April 6 while outlining his priorities for the fiscal 2010 defense budget.
$ A: _# s5 w4 S3 t3 a$ ~9 H( oHe said at the time the issue would be examined as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Pentagon's blueprint for the next four years.
0 J, i4 @& `0 h: r8 d" ^1 i( NIn endorsing a follow-on bomber on Wednesday, "a prospective B-3, if you will," Gates noted the congressionally mandated review was still under way. |