The Defense Department proposes spending “approximately $2 billion between now and 2016” for research and development of conventional prompt global strike capabilities, said James Miller, principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy. This dollar figure represents another piece in the puzzle of understanding the Pentagon’s future LRS plans, which center around a new Air Force bomber aircraft. Already Air Force and Office of the Secretary of Defense officials have said they’d like to apply $3.7 billion through Fiscal 2016 towards developing the new bomber and another $800 million toward a new nuclear-capable cruise missile. In testimony before House defense overseers earlier this month, Miller said the Pentagon envisions a CPGS system “to defeat time-urgent regional threats.” DOD is “exploring in particular the potential of conventionally armed, long-range missile systems that fly a non-ballistic trajectory such as boost-glide systems,” he said. (See also Bomber Puzzle Pieces)
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
