Ranking Member Courtney’s Opening Remarks For Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee Hearing On The Future of Air Force Long-Range Strike – Capabilities and Employment Concepts

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing on our Air Force long range strike capabilities. Given the impending award of the contract for the Long Range Strike Bomber in the coming weeks, this is an excellent opportunity to discuss the future of this critical part of our nation’s power projection abilities.

The Air Force long range bomber fleet has long provided our nation with a flexible and effective deterrent tool. From composing one of the three legs of our strategic triad to providing a full complement of conventional long range strike options for decision makers, the ability to project power and convincingly strike from far distances is one of the most important components of our military arsenal today.

Our long range strike fleet –composed of our B-52s, B-1s and B-2s – is also among the oldest aircraft in the inventory today. As the fleet faces strategic challenges such as the growing threat posed by the growth of A2/AD capabilities among our security competitors, it also faces very real practical limitations - such as parts obsolesce and increasingly costly modernization.

However, the current timeline projects that the LRS-B would not be ready for operations until 2030, adding 15 years to the average ages of our existing bombers – effectively making the B-52 eligible for Social Security by the time LRS-B comes on line. I am interested to hear from our witnesses about the kinds of ides they have with regards to sustaining our current fleet in the years before LRS-B comes on line, as well as the lessons that we should draw from the longevity of these aircraft as they would apply to the LRS-B.

The strategic importance of demonstrating our nation’s long-range strike capability cannot be overstated, especially as it applies to the Asia-Pacific region. As noted by one of our witnesses today, Lieutenant General Elder, our bombers were an important part of deterring North Korean saber-rattling in 2013. When B-2 bombers flew 6,500 miles from Missouri to South Korea to drop bombs on a test range, North Korea quickly toned down its threatening rhetoric, and the bombers effectively deterred further provocation in a volatile region.

As our near-peer competitors – especially China – develop formidable anti-access and area denial technologies, our ability to maintain a military advantage hinges on our ability to penetrate those defenses. I hope our witnesses will share their views with the committee on how the LRS-B, and long range strike capabilities generally, fits into strategic priorities such as the Asia-Pacific rebalance.

While many of the specifics of the LRS-B program are classified, there are many aspects that are known publicly. One of those details is the number and cost of the aircraft expected to be purchased under the current LRS-B plan, which has been the source of some public concern with recent revisions to the cost estimates of the program. I would appreciate hearing from our witnesses their view on the state of the program, particularly when balanced against recent press reports indicating that the program is at a level of maturity that is ahead of its time when compared to other major acquisition programs.

LRS-B will occur in a time of intense budget pressure, not just within the Air Force alone but across the entirety of the Department of Defense. Yet, with the aircraft expected to be in service well into this century, it is important that we get this right. As such, is it important that this panel, and the nation, fully understand the challenges ahead and options available to ensure that we retain credible and robust long range strike capabilities well into the future.

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to the discussion today.