Gates Says Next-Generation Bomber Might Be UnmannedMay 20, 2009

 

B-52 Stratofortress

Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants the U.S. Air Force's next-generation long-range bomber jets to fly without a pilot onboard, taking advances in unmanned technologies to a whole new level, according to an article in Congress Daily.

The Air Force is built around a culture of the warrior pilot and will continue to award contracts for manned jets. But in recent weeks, Gates and other top Pentagon officials have emphasized that the Air Force's power in the future will come from its unmanned aerial capabilities.

To underscore that vision, the fiscal 2010 budget includes nearly $1.3 billion to buy 60 Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In addition, it calls for $1.5 billion for five Global Hawks and $225 million to buy 1,232 smaller Raven and Shadow UAVs. The Pentagon expects to invest even more in UAVs in the future.

At a Senate Armed Services hearing last week, Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Michael Mullen said he is "inclined to believe" that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter currently in development will be the last manned fighter jet procured by the U.S. military, according to the article.

Critics, however, suggest that cutting down the number of manned jets programs will weaken the U.S. military. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., whose state has the F-22 assembly plant, said the military needs more F-22 Raptors, which have air-to-ground capabilities.

But Gates countered that assumption by saying that the F-22 fleet, when combined with F-35s and UAVs, can meet any threat, including one from China. "If you're only talking about the F-22, there may be merit to some of these arguments," Gates said. "But the fact is the F-22 is not going to be the only aircraft" in the tactical air arsenal.

(U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung (released))