Over 30 military and civilian strategic air power experts, under the aegis of the Bomber Advisory Group, gathered in the US recently to discuss ideas for a new longrange strike bomber. The group examined past and current global strike success stories and strategic air power’s role in the 21st century.

Dr Rebecca Grant, the Director of the General William Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies, and Lt General Jim Kowalski, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, attended the conference.

Not all the nation’s decision-makers understand why America must build a new bomber right now, Dr Grant said, “And it is up to the practitioners of strategic air power to help us frame that answer—why does America need a new bomber right now, what are these missions?” Dr Grant discussed the evolution of bombers from 1917 on, as they addressed national strategy and security needs. “Air power is key to our foreign policy,” she said. “Look what we did with Libya,” referring to Operation Odyssey Dawn. “Air power was key to the ability to have that response.”

In the Air Force Posture Statement for 2011, Michael B. Donley, the Secretary of the Air Force, discussed the need for a new long-rang strike bomber.

“We must sustain our ability to consistently hold any target on the planet at risk with the development of a long-range strike family of systems capability—including a new penetrating bomber —to create desired effects across the full range of military operations in both permissive and contested environments.”