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 Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.