18/06/09 10:52:24.35 BEMLi9Oa.net
P.84
1. Penetrating, persistent bomber. The Air Force’s next budget submission
should initiate a new program to procure up to one hundred new optionally
manned penetrating bombers with all-aspect, broad-band stealth; a
payload capacity of approximately 20,000 pounds; and a range of 4,000 nm
to 5,000 nm. The bomber should have on-board surveillance and self-defense
capabilities to permit independent operations against fixed and mobile targets
in degraded C4ISR environments.
2. Standoff strike platforms. Given the expected service life and viability
of the Air Force’s current bomber force to perform standoff attack missions,
DoD should defer procuring a new standoff strike platform until production of
a penetrating bomber is nearly completed.
3. Carrier air wing strike. The Navy should develop an air-refuelable naval
UCAS with a 1,500 nm combat radius and the all-aspect, broad-band lowobservable
characteristics required to survive in the face of advanced air defense networks.