{
  "id": "RL31544",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL31544",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 101348,
      "date": "2003-08-19",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-08T14:39:43.669544",
      "title": "Long-Range Bombers: Background and Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "The Air Force's long-range bombers were designed during the Cold War to deliver nuclear\nstrikes\nagainst the Soviet Union. Although they can be vulnerable to enemy defenses if detected, they\ncombine the ability to fly extended distances, much farther than most other combat aircraft, with the\nability to carry weapons payloads many times larger than that of fighters. Over the past decade, the\nAir Force has taken advantage of these characteristics by migrating its bomber fleet from a nuclear\nto a conventional role. Today, the Air Force maintains three bombers: the B-1B, the B-2, and the\nB-52, and each has been outfitted with a variety of precision and \"dumb\" weapons for conventional\nstrikes. In recent conflicts in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003), bombers have played prominent\nroles. \n  Questions remain, however, about where bombers fit into Air Force spending priorities. Some\nargue that because bombers can be vulnerable against advanced air defenses, scarce resources are\nbest spent on other programs that can address the full spectrum of potential future conflicts, such as\nthe F/A-22 Raptor. Others counter that the range and payload of the bombers -- many times that of\nfighters like the F/A-22 -- make them extremely valuable and believe that modernizing them,\nbuilding additional aircraft, and developing a next-generation bomber should be top budget\npriorities. \n  Decisions in Congress and the Department of Defense regarding bombers may have important\nlong-term implications. Each of the three bombers is in need of expensive upgrades, and decisions\nabout the funding of these upgrades may affect the continued utility of these aircraft. Second, a\ndebate has arisen over whether to expand or contract the bomber fleet. Third, military observers and\npolicymakers disagree about when to begin a next-generation bomber program; some push to begin\na new program immediately, while others advocate waiting a decade or more before initiating\ndevelopment of a new bomber.\n  This report discusses the background, status, and current issues surrounding the Air Force's\nlong-range bomber fleet. Before addressing each of the three bombers individually, this report\nanalyzes issues affecting the entire fleet.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL31544",
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      ],
      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}