Herseth Sandlin Encourages Appropriations To Strongly Fund Next Generation Bomber, B-1 Bomber

Press Release

Today, Rep. Herseth Sandlin sent letters to key members of the Appropriations Committee urging them to strongly fund development programs related to the next generation bomber and B-1 bomber research and modification. In the coming weeks, the House of Representatives is scheduled to take up the bill that determines fiscal year 2010 funding levels for Department of Defense-related programs, including the next generation bomber and the B-1 bomber.

"Protecting and maintaining our nation's air superiority well into the future is a national security imperative, and that includes both development of the next generation bomber program and continued investment in the B-1 bomber." Rep. Herseth Sandlin said. "As the appropriations process continues in the House, I will continue to be a strong advocate for adequately funding the next generation bomber and the B-1 bomber given their importance to our country's overall national security."

In addition to communicating her support with her colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Herseth Sandlin recently met with Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz to emphasize the planning for the next generation bomber and support for the B-1 as critical components of the Department of Defense's ongoing Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and Nuclear Posture Review (NPR).

"The QDR and NPR provide the framework for our national defense policy and are crucial to properly determining our nation's security needs over the coming decades," Rep Herseth Sandlin said. "Making the case for the next generation bomber and the B-1 bomber, as I did during my meeting with General Schwartz, is critical as the QDR and NPR process continues throughout the remainder of 2009 to ensuring the viability of our bomber fleet."

A full text of the letter from Rep. Herseth Sandlin to key members of the Appropriations Committee, including Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI), Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Defense Appropriations Committee Chairman John Murtha (D-PA) and Ranking Member C.W. Bill Young (R-FL) can be found below.

Dear Chairman Obey, Chairman Murtha, Ranking Member Lewis, and Ranking Member Young,

As you begin developing the National Defense Appropriations Act, I am writing in strong support of the $215 million for development activities related to the next-generation bomber program and the $256 million for research and modification to the B-1B program in the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act. I hope you can support these initiatives and include strong funding in the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Act for these national priorities.

Long range strike, as you know, is a critical national security capability provided by the United States Air Force. The ability to hold any target at risk, at any time, serves as a powerful deterrent to potential aggressors and creates an invaluable strategic benefit for our country. While our current bomber fleet is combat ready and capable, its long-term viability is less certain, given all the potential threats our country could face.

The inherent challenges that our country's long range strike force faces include an aging U.S. Air Force inventory and weapons platforms that lack adequate stealth technology. While elements of the fleet remain highly adept in certain threat environments, the proliferation of anti-access weaponry, including advanced integrated air defense systems, curtails when and where many of our legacy assets can successfully operate. Our B-52s and B-1Bs have been upgraded over the years to take advantage of new technologies such as precision strike, GPS, and targeting pods, but remain vulnerable to attacks by surface-to-air missiles and fighters due to their lack of stealth. Currently, the 20 B-2 bombers in our nation's arsenal are the only weapons system able to penetrate high-threat environments.

Given this overall lack of stealth assets, and the increasing average age of our nation's bomber inventory, it is extremely important that our country both continue ongoing work on the next-generation platform so we do not lose the strategic advantage these systems confer and work to continually update and improve our existing systems such as the B-1B so the useful lifespan of these systems is increased. The next generation bomber is a viable initiative, based on proven technologies, that promises to preserve and enhance our nation's critical long range strike capability for years to come.

The funding for the next-generation bomber I've referred to was included as item No. 9 on the Air Force's FY10 Unfunded Requirement List. These funds will be used to continue classified development work on technologies related to survivability and lethality and will benefit current and future strike, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.

Once again, I firmly support the Armed Services Committee's initiative to support the continued development of the next-generation bomber and B-1B programs as a critical parts of our national defense strategy. I urge you to include this funding in your consideration of the FY2010 Defense Appropriations Act.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and welcome the opportunity to work with you, the Administration and the Air Force to develop and support these initiatives in FY10 and for years to come.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Member of Congress

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