Defense comptroller: Military wants ‘80 to 100’ new bombers

The Defense Department could purchase up to 100 models of
a new bomber aircraft, Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale revealed on Wednesday.

“We want to buy 80 to 100 new bombers,” Hale said, “not
just 20.”

That means the Air Force and industry “will have to keep
costs down,” the comptroller said during a conference in Washington sponsored
by Aviation Week magazine.

{mosads}Senior DoD and Air Force officials say cost will be a top
consideration this time, in contrast to recent unsuccessful attempts to develop
and buy a new bomber. Officials say holding down the price will push the Air
Force toward using more already available technologies. 

Details of this latest bomber concept are slowly emerging.
The Air Force plans to spend about $3.7 billion over five years on the bomber
program.

It will be “optionally manned” — meaning commanders would
have the option of launching it with a pilot in the cockpit, or flying it like
an unmanned aerial vehicle. Defense officials say it likely will be
capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are expected
to compete for what will be a lucrative contract to design, develop and build
the new bombers.