2037 Bomber
| 2037 Bomber | |
|---|---|
| Issued by | United States Air Force |
| Successor programs | Next-Generation Bomber Long Range Strike Bomber |
The 2037 Bomber refers to a short-lived 1999 United States Air Force proposal to modernize and extend the service life of the U.S. bomber fleet and defer the introduction of a replacement "capability" (a strategic bomber or some future equivalent platform) until 2037. The plan was criticized by lawmakers and Pentagon officials, some of whom believed the existing fleet was in danger of becoming outmoded and overstretched.[1] Amidst this controversy, Air Force officials revised this plan in 2001 to put forward an accelerated timeline for a new bomber. Accordingly a Next-Generation Bomber program was started with the goal of introducing a bomber in 2018, but this was canceled in 2009. This program was restarted as the Long Range Strike Bomber which produced the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, currently expected to enter service in 2026–2027.
B-2 program termination and looming bomber gap[edit]
In 1998, a Congressional panel studied the merits of re-starting B-2 Spirit production, which had ended prematurely at 21 aircraft, far short of the originally planned 170 stealth bombers. The panel nonetheless endorsed ending production in favor of re-allocating resources towards B-2 upgrades or developing technology for a future new-build aircraft.[2]
A few weeks later Congress ordered the Department of the Air Force to update its bomber roadmap, last reviewed in 1992. The resulting Long Range Bombers white paper released in March 1999 projected that a new "capability" would be needed to be fielded in the 2037 time frame to replace B-52 Stratofortresses, B-1 Lancers, and B-2s expected to be lost due to attrition.[2][3] The Air Force's near-term strategic bombing needs could be met through service extensions and technology enhancements offering "a tenfold increase in bomber lethality" compared to 1992, according to the paper.[2] According to that roadmap, a Mission Area Assessment would have to be completed by 2013[4] and the acquisition time for the 2037 would be 18 years.[5]
The white paper did not identify the replacement "capability" as a bomber or any specific type of aircraft because, according to the report, "technological advances may lead us to a configuration or platform that in no way resembles today’s bomber aircraft."[6]
The Department of the Air Force's contentment with the size of and age the bomber fleet disappointed some members of Congress who believed a new aircraft would be needed before 2035.[2] The case for a hastened timeline was bolstered, some observers believed, by the DoD's 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review, which warned of increasing threats to U.S. power projection.[7] The report said developments in adversary air defenses would threaten U.S. air power in future conflicts, and that access to enemy denied areas would be limited to stealth aircraft.[8]
The Air Force conceded that a new bomber would be needed earlier when it updated its projections in November 2001. The new paper anticipated a capability gap due to a strategic shift from nuclear deterrence to conventional bombing, and the loss of B-52's low-level flying mission capability. The paper said the Air Force would need to begin its acquisition program in 2012–2015.[4] The paper's recommendations were adopted as Air Force policy by Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Edward C. Aldridge Jr.[9]
Legacy[edit]
The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review formalized the DoD's intent to bring forward the project almost two decades.[10][11] Eventually, the Air Force commenced the Next-Generation Bomber program (later the Long Range Strike Bomber program).[12][13] In late 2007, Wired referred to the 2037 bomber as "quasi-mythical".[14] Though the 2037 Bomber remained uncancelled, both the popular press and foreign think tanks continued in mentioning it in later years.[15][16]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Adam J. Hebert (August 2007). "Great Expectations" (PDF). Airforce Magazine. The Air Force Association. 90 (8): 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
The controversial 1999 bomber roadmap proposed delaying the start of a new acquisition program until 2019 and not fielding that bomber until 2037
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Tirpak, John A. (1 June 1999). "The Bomber Roadmap". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ↑ Grant, Rebecca. "Return of the Bomber, The Future of Long-Range Strike", pp. 11, 17, 29. Air Force Association, February 2007.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "U.S. Air Force Long-Range Strike Aircraft White Paper". Digital Commons University of Nebraska - Lincoln. U.S. Air Force Research - U.S. Department of Defense. November 2001. p. 27. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
The last bomber service life analysis was accomplished in FY98-FY99. This study indicated a Mission Area Assessment was required in 2013 to support a bomber replacement IOC date of 2037
- ↑ Adam J. Hebert (1 March 2008). "The "2018 Bomber" Controversy". Airforce Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
the Bomber Roadmap of 1999 postulated an 18-year acquisition effort to bring in the “2037 Bomber.”
- ↑ Warwick, Graham (24 March 1999). "Bomber roadshow". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ↑ Axe, David (19 May 2014). "Will the $55 billion bomber program fly?". Center for Public Integrity. pp. V, 27. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
the Air Force believed it could wait until 2037 for a new bomber. But in 2001, a Defense Department strategy review warned that another world power could launch a surprise attack on a U.S. ally that U.S. ground and naval forces could not prevent
- ↑ 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review Report (PDF). Department of Defense. 30 September 2001. pp. 30–31. Retrieved 4 May 2021. Search this book on
- ↑ Watts, Barry D. (April 2005). "Long-Range Strike: Imperatives, Urgency and Options" (PDF). Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments: 15. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ↑ Hebert, Adam J. (March 2008). "Issue Brief". Air Force Magazine. The Air Force Association. 91 (3): 22. ISSN 0730-6784. Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
In its 1999 “Bomber Roadmap,” the Air Force famously declared that it had no need for a new long-range strike aircraft until 2037. It soon wavered but did not change course by much. Then, early in 2006, the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review set a new goal: USAF, the QDR decreed, will have a new bomber ready for combat in 2018
- ↑ Jeremiah Gertler (14 April 2016). "Air Force B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber" (PDF). Ars Technica. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
Prior to 2006, the Air Force had indicated that its fleet of B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers would suffice until 2037 [...] The 2006 QDR’s call for a new bomber that would enter service in 2018 thus accelerated Air Force plans for fielding a new bomber by almost 20 years.
- ↑ Hebert, Adam J. "Long-Range Strike in a Hurry". Air Force Magazine, November 2004, Retrieved 30 December 2015, (PDF version)
- ↑ Murch, Anthony. "RL34406, The Next Generation Bomber: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress", pp. 17–20, Congressional Research Service, 7 March 2008. Archived June 11, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ SHARON WEINBERGER (10 December 2007). "Future Bomber: No Money, No Problem". Wired. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
saving future technologies (like supersonic speed, death beam weapons, and unmanned flight) for the quasi-mythical 2037 bomber
- ↑ "Stealth Reborn". Popular Science. 9 January 2009.
By 2037, the Air Force plans to build a large, supersonic stealth bomber that can relieve the B-2 of duty
- ↑ Tarteret, Alexis (February 2015). "Structure des forces stratégiques américaines en 2018 en vertu du New Start Treaty" (PDF). La Note du CESA (Centre d'études stratégiques aérospatiales) (in français). IRSEM (18). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
Elle a par la suite changé son discours en 2004 en affirmant qu’elle aurait besoin d’un nouveau bombardier moyen dès 2020 (sans annuler le programme 2037 Bomber)
External links[edit]
- "The 2018 Bomber and Its Friends", Air Force Magazine, October 2006[dead link]
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