B-1B bombers from Ellsworth AFB, S.D.,—the base that narrowly escaped the BRAC ax—Monday began replacing B-2 Spirits at Andersen AB, Guam. The 120-day tour for the B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman AFB, Mo., ended. Stateside bomber units have been staging out of Andersen to help maintain a strong US presence in the Pacific. Read here about USAF’s plan for a new strike force on Guam and here for the big picture on the Pacific region.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
