Don’t Forget the Maritime Role

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Among the attributes of the Air Force’s future Long-Range Strike Bomber will be its ability to reach out and operate in contested maritime environments, retired Lt. Gen. Bob Elder, former 8th Air Force commander, told AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando on Thursday. That capability will, in turn, support homeland defense, he said during the panel discussion on LRS in contested environments. In broader terms, LRS-B will provide the nation with “a truly global-shaping, influence, and operational-effects capability that is unmatched by anything else,” said Elder. It will give the President a tool of military and diplomatic power, encourage adversary restraint, and enable other air platforms and the entire joint force to be more effective, he said. For those thinking that stealth technology has been overtaken by potential adversaries’ advances, Elder said “not all stealth is equal.” He added, “all-aspect stealth makes a big difference.”

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org