According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Pentagon is behind in defining specific requirements for a new Long Range Strike platform, but it has speculated about eight “classes” of long-range weapons that might fill the bill. The eight include aircraft, long-range missiles, and space-based weapons, states the CBO in a new 60-page report that examines how well each would perform and the costs to develop them. Under the heading “arsenal aircraft,” we find the C-17 armed with a supersonic, long-range missile. There are also medium- and long-range subsonic and supersonic bombers and surface-based and space-based unmanned vehicles. One of the more obvious conclusions: The C-17 as an arsenal aircraft would be lower cost than a new bomber but very vulnerable to enemy air defenses.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.