Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday he is committed to seeing that the US military has “an airborne, long-range strike capability,” a prospective B-3 bomber, if you will. Speaking at AFA’s Air & Space Conference, Gates said, however, the Pentagon must not repeat the mistakes of the B-2 bomber program in acquiring this new capability, be it a manned aircraft, unmanned platform, or some combination of both. The B-2, Gates said, “despite its great capability, turned out to be so expensive” that the nation could only afford a fraction of the original number. The small fleet size—today there are 20 B-2s—makes the loss of even one B-2 potentially “a national disaster akin to the sinking of a capital ship” since it would lessen the nation’s strategic options, he said. “It makes little sense to procure a future bomber … in a way that repeats this history,” he emphasized. Instead it’s imperative to pursue a capability that “can realistically be produced and deployed in the numbers originally envisioned,” thus placing a premium on meeting schedules, controlling costs, and bringing requirements “into line with reality,” Gates said.
OA-1K Skyraider Crashes in Oklahoma, Crew Uninjured
Oct. 24, 2025
An Air Force OA-1K Skyraider II crashed near Oklahoma City on Oct. 23, with a civilian contractor and Active-duty Airman escaping uninjured. The OA-1K was on a training mission when the crash occurred, less than 10 miles from the base.
