Air Combat Command chief Gen. Ronald Keys is a big fan of the B-1B bomber, dubbing it recently a “Burger King jet” because “you can have it your way and load it however you want.” Keys, who was talking with airmen deployed to Southwest Asia, went on to declare the B-1B “can stay airborne for a long time and provides the precision and persistence we need.” SSgt. Jasmine Reif reports that the ACC boss also noted that USAF is working two upgrades that will improve the bomber’s ability to pass information to other airborne platforms and adding a laser pod for more precision. On the latter, he said, “We’re currently working through technical issues, and it’s just a matter of getting the pieces and parts and putting them on the airplane.”
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
