[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 86 (Thursday, June 30, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 30, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  AMERICA'S B-2: THAT'S THE ``SPIRIT''

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT K. DORNAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 29, 1994

  Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, the question regarding defense spending is 
not whether we should or should not downsize our Armed Forces. The real 
question is where further cuts can be made without risking the 
capability of the United States to defend its interests around the 
world. We must not invite aggression by weakening our present and 
future defense capabilities.
  Despite recent conflicts in Panama and the Middle East, and potential 
new conflicts in Bosnia, Haiti, and North Korea, some today continue to 
ask, ``Do we still really need the Armed Forces of the United States?'' 
Notwithstanding the end of the cold war, the threats to U.S. interests 
around the world continue to grow.
  If Plato is correct that ``Only the dead have seen the end of war,'' 
our country may well find itself involved in resolving another regional 
conflict in the very near future. As the only remaining world 
superpower, we will continue to be challenged and tested by aggressors 
seeking to alter a regional balance of power to their favor.
  Meanwhile, with the current demise of Soviet (now Russian) world 
military power, including the nuclear threat, many of our forces have 
been withdrawn from their forward deployed bases. Rather than focusing 
on former Soviet Union military threat, our new national military 
strategy calls for a force structure capable of prevailing in two major 
regional conflicts [MRCs].
  Because of such a drastically changed strategic environment, the U.S. 
desperately needs forces capable of quickly projecting conventional 
combat power to the far reaches of the globe. As the recently completed 
Bottom Up Review [BUR] concluded, the Air Force and its heavy bombers 
are the key power projection force for this new strategy.
  A new, modern bomber force is vital to this strategy because a major 
regional conflict will not be solved with a single limited raid such as 
that conducted against Libya in April, 1986. Instead, such a conflict 
will likely require large scale attacks against airfields, command 
centers, and even destroying invading armor formations. Only the manned 
bomber has the range, payload, and hit-the-target precision necessary 
to achieve success in such missions especially during the first few 
critical days of a conflict. Secretary of Defense William Perry stated 
during his confirmation hearing that the B-2 ``Spirit'' stealth bomber 
would be his platform of choice for delivering precision weapons in a 
regional defense strategy.
  The rapid proliferation of advanced weapons technology means that it 
is highly likely that our forces will encounter very capable enemies in 
the future. Since the B-2 bomber represents a vast technological 
improvement over other Air Force bombers and all other military 
aircraft worldwide, the ``Spirit'' removes the risk we would face with 
less capable, non-stealthy aircraft.
  Secretary Perry also indicated that the current planned inventory of 
just 20 B-2 bombers is too thin to meet regional defense mission 
requirements. I strongly agree. A larger force of B-2 aircraft would 
not only be able to effectively deal with two MRCs, but could also 
shorten the duration of these conflicts by delaying advancing enemy 
forces until additional American or allied forces were deployed into 
the combat area. Such capability could have conceivably stopped Iraqi 
armor forces from overrunning Kuwait.
  Mr. Speaker, our country needs the B-2 ``Spirit'' bomber with its 
unmatched technological superiority in order to deter war and, if 
necessary, end any conflict quickly and decisively. As a Member of the 
California congressional delegation and long time champion of airpower, 
I am extremely proud of the B-2 and the people who conceived it, 
designed it, built it and maintained it. And, of course, I'm proud of 
and envious of those who have the honor to fly this national treasure.

                          ____________________