Air Force ISR Chief Calls New Bomber Top Priority
Defense Daily 12/03/2009
Author: Marina Malenic




The Air Force's top intelligence official said yesterday that development of a new multi-role bomber platform is his top purchasing priority.

"We cannot move into a future without a platform that allows the United States of America to project power long distances and to meet advanced threats in a fashion that gives us an advantage that no other nation has," said Lt. Gen. David Deptula, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. "We can't walk away from that capability."


Deptula was speaking at a breakfast meeting sponsored by the Air Force Association.


The general added that the new bomber, unlike the legacy systems it is expected to replace, will have to provide multiple capabilities.


"It's a long-range, ISR-strike platform," he said. "Because no longer are we going to build single-capability platforms."


The Pentagon's top arms buyer, Ashton Carter, said in October that the new airplane will have to be both a bomber and a reconnaissance platform.


"There are things that can do both," Carter said at the time, adding that officials are examining the "full menu" of options.


Defense Secretary Gates in September endorsed efforts to develop a new long-range strike platform, addressing the issue for the first time since asking the Air Force to go back to the drawing board on its next-generation bomber plans in April.


Deptula said modern military aircraft must provide a package of various capabilities.


"If I was king for a day, I'd get rid of these traditional, industrial-age labels," he said. For example, he added, fifth-generation fighter aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35 are "flying sensor platforms that also have the capability to deliver ordnance."


"In the long-range arena, we need to do that as well," he added.


Asked what kind of programmatic trade-offs the Air Force would be willing to offer in order to finance a new bomber, Deptula suggested a holistic reexamination of Pentagon priorities.


"Perhaps we need to do a review across the entire Department of Defense, in terms of what are the core functions that each of the services perform and...reduce any excessive overlap," he said.


He added that "it's no surprise to anyone that recapitalization of our geriatric Air Force is a huge priority."

"Perhaps we need to do a review across the entire Department of Defense, in terms of what are the core functions that each of the services perform and...reduce any excessive overlap," he said.