An artist rendering shows the first image of a new Northrop Grumman Corp long-range bomber B21 in this image released on February 26, 2016. REUTERS/U.S. AIR FORCE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
National Defense: Tough Choices Ahead for B-21 Program
The Air Force wants to beef up its bomber fleet over the next decade. That could be a boon to B-21 Raider manufacturer Northrop Grumman and its industry partners, but it’s unclear whether the initiative will receive sufficient funding.
Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson recently said the service needs 74 more squadrons — including five additional bomber squadrons — by 2030 to carry out the national defense strategy. The proposal was based on the preliminary results of a study that the service is conducting. The final report will be delivered to Congress in March.
“Right now we have not got the exact mix of [aircraft] tails,” Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein told reporters during a roundtable. “Part of that dialogue will be the costing out the number of tails, the number of pilots, the number of maintainers. And so that’s work that is still to be done.”
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WNU Editor: It all comes down to money. And if the Democrats control Congress, I doubt that the Air Force is going to get what they want.
