06 27 next bomber 21

with sidebar on military construction projects for S.D. in the bill

Next generation bomber survives in defense bill

$257 million slated for B-1 upgrades

By Steve Miller

Journal staff

Development of the nation's next generation bomber would continue under a bill passed this week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, despite the Obama administration's plan to kill the program, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., a member of the committee, said Friday.

The Senate defense bill also contains money for upgrades to the B-1B Lancer bomber fleet.

Language authorizing the next generation bomber and money for its continued development are included in the defense bill. The exact amount of money is classified and not being released, Thune said.

"I feel good about the fact that we were able to reverse the decision by the administration to completely eliminate the program," Thune said in a phone interview. "They had zeroed it out. If that had happened, we would have lost all the progress that's already been made."

Thune said the new bomber program was supported by Democrats and Republicans alike on the committee, which voted unanimously for the bill.

Ellsworth Air Force Base could host a fleet of such bombers, which the Air Force has said it planned to field by 2018.

A local group that fought to save Ellsworth from closing a few years ago has joined efforts to save the new bomber program.

During the Armed Services Committee's work on the defense bill, Thune included an amendment to preserve the Next Generation Bomber program, saying many of the B-52 bombers predate the Cuban Missile Crisis and the B-1s are now more than 20 years old.

Thune said the bill could reach the Senate floor next month. He said the next generation bomber also has bipartisan in the House.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates spoke against the next generation bomber during committee hearings, although he had earlier supported the program, Thune said.

Also testifying in support of the next generation bomber were several combat commanders, including the commanders of the Pacific Command, Strategic Forces Command, Joint Forces Command and the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Thune said Lt. Gen. Mike Maples, commander of the Defense Intelligence Agency, confirmed earlier this year the proliferation of "anti-access" threats from countries developing sophisticated air defense systems.

Russia, for example, is developing such air defense systems and distributing some of that technology to countries such as China, Thune said. "That's really why you need a bomber that can go in and loiter and has got the systems for survivability in some of these anti-access areas," he said.

The defense bill also provides $257.6 million for modernization and upgrades of 67 B-1s, including those at Ellsworth. The funding includes a $2 million request from Thune for a new radar system for the B-1.

Thune said the Defense Department always plans a certain amount of money to maintain and upgrade existing airplanes.

"This is a decent amount of money," Thune said Friday. "I've been making this point at the hearings that if we're not going to invest money in the next generation bomber, then we darn well better be sure we're upgrading the ones we have so they have the technology on the cutting edge in terms of the capabilities they're going to need to penetrate the air-defense systems we're going to encounter in the future."

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8415 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com.