U.S. Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, has told a House Armed Services Committee hearing that the Air Force needs to replace the ageing B-2 and the B-52 aircraft with new aircraft, the Air Force Times reported Thursday.
Brian Everstine writes the Air Force is set to begin procurement of new long-range stealth bombers in April as the service prepares to retire its legacy fleet of strike bombers.
“The B-52, which was last off the assembly line in 1962, will be used out until at least the 2040 time period,†Haney told lawmakers.
“It is very important we invest in the long-range bomber.”
The report said the service could award a contract to Northrop Grumman or a team of Lockheed Martin and Boeing for the production of the next-generation bombers.
The new stealth bombers are designed to carry nuclear weapons, it added.
Everstine writes the Air Force plans to deploy up to 100 of the new aircraft by 2040, with a price target of nearly $500 million per aircraft.
