Air Force Bombers

Options to Retire or Restructure the Force Would Reduce Planned Spending Gao ID: NSIAD-96-192 September 30, 1996

Although bombers currently in the force were initially intended to fight a nuclear war, the Defense Department (DOD) has since the end of the Cold War placed greater emphasis on the role of bombers in conventional conflicts. In recent years, Congress has raised concerns about the size and capabilities of the planned bomber force and the long-term affordability of DOD's plans to maintain and modernize airpower assets, including the bomber force. This report assesses (1) the basis for DOD's bomber force requirements, including recent DOD and Air Force studies supporting the planned force structure; (2) the Air Force's progress in implementing the conventional concepts of operations for using bombers; and (3) the cost to keep bombers in the force and bolster their conventional capabilities. GAO also evaluates the potential cost savings and effects on military capability of four alternatives for reducing bomber costs, including retiring or reducing the B-1B force, and reviews information on the procurement of additional B-2s.

GAO found that: (1) DOD based its decision to retain and upgrade 187 bombers on three studies that had significant limitations in their methodology, used questionable assumptions, and failed to examine less costly alternatives; (2) service commanders in chief, who expected to use fewer aircraft than recommended by the three studies, did not express concern that a smaller number of bombers would adversely affect their abilities in future conflicts; (3) the Air Force's bomber modernization program has experienced testing delays, has yet to demonstrate that bombers meet some of the most important mission requirements, and has not fully detailed bomber upgrades; (4) the total cost to modernize DOD's heavy bomber force is likely to exceed $7 billion by 2008; and (5) options that would help DOD to reduce bomber costs while maintaining extensive conventional ground-attack capability include retiring the B-1B force, retiring the 27 B-1B in the reconstitution reserve, placing additional B-1B in the Air National Guard, and consolidating basing for active B-1B.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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