Long-time B-2 bomber advocate that he is, Dicks told the forum audience that a “huge disparity” has emerged between investment in bombers as opposed to fighter aircraft. He said, “I couldn’t find anyone in the Pentagon who would support the idea of more B-2s.” One possible reason for this, Dicks opined, is that since the stand-down of the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command, a leading advocate for the importance of a well-maintained bomber fleet was lost.
The advanced F-47 sixth-generation fighter remains on track to fly in the next two years, the senior Air Force acquisition officer overseeing the program said Feb. 25, as the service continues on its ambitious schedule to debut the air superiority-focused fighter by 2028—only three years after the contract was awarded…