The Air Force’s next-generation bomber must be capable of strategic deterrence as well as precision strike, said retired Gen. John Corley, former Air Combat Command boss. Contrasted with historical stealth, “for this bomber to have value, it’s got to have a visible deterrent demonstration capacity capability to it,” said Corley, speaking on a Washington Security Forum panel discussion on the future bomber on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. “For the US to be able to deter . . . adversaries and also reassure allies around the planet, it’s going to demand . . . operational capability,” he asserted, stressing that design requirements flow from strategic intent. Equally important is the need for conventional “global precision attack” to be able to “strike rapidly and persistently and create decisive effects,” maintaining the advantage that the United States has traditionally enjoyed, added Corley.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.