Pentagon Accelerates Future Bomber Plans - J-UCAS Cancelled

Posted on: Jan. 14th, 2006 || Source: military.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

Pentagon Accelerates Future Bomber Plans - J-UCAS Cancelled

The Defense Department will begin work this year on a next-generation long-range strike aircraft, accelerating its bomber modernization plans by nearly two decades in an effort to quickly enhance the Air Force's effectiveness across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Quadrennial Defense Review, set to be delivered to Congress next month, will call for the Air Force to move up the date to field a new bomber from 2037 to 2018, according to Pentagon sources familiar with the recommendation.

As part of this effort, sources said, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England has terminated the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems program, which was aimed at developing a similar aircraft for both Navy aircraft carriers and Air Force air-to-ground strike missions. This action, spelled out in a classified budget memo last month, directs each service to pursue independent unmanned aircraft programs, according to sources familiar with the document.

Part of the follow-on Air Force effort could be integrated in the new bomber program, sources said.

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