    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [June 11, 1991]
    [Pages 637-638]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to Members of the Defense Community at Andrews Air Force Base,
    Maryland
    June 11, 1991

        Thank you all very much. And I hope everybody's enjoyed this tour as
    much as I have. And first, let me pay my respects to the men and women
    of the U.S. Air Force. I was telling General McPeak and the Secretary
    that I'm always so impressed by you all's dedication, certainly service.
    And I'm just delighted to be here with those that have made this
    exhibition possible from the research stage and right on up until now. I
    want to salute Dick Cheney, of course; our leader--one of our leaders,
    Bob Dole, is with us today; Don Rice, of course, our Secretary; General
    McPeak, you've heard me speak about him; and Members of the Senate who
    took the time to come out here today--our chairman, Sam Nunn, and
    others. And I'm just delighted you all are here.
        Senator Warner, Senator Nunn, and the members of the committee have
    been strong supporters of Stealth technology even before the first
    prototype F-117 in 1977. And we've now seen the promise of Stealth
    fulfilled with a remarkable success of the F-117 in Desert Storm.
        The F-117 carried a revolution in warfare on its wings over Baghdad.
    And these remarkable aircraft flew only about 2 percent of the combat
    sorties, but struck over 40 percent of the strategic targets. The
    success of the F-117 is a tribute to those men and women who could see--
    even in the seven-

    [[Page 638]]

    ties--the potential of Stealth, the need for Stealth, and had the
    strength and perseverance to see it through.
        Among those who deserve special credit for the accomplishment are
    the members of this committee who gave that plane, the F-117, their
    strong and continuous support. And there now is no question, Stealth
    works. And it's been proven in combat. And it broke the Iraqis' back,
    and it saved precious American lives. It flew hundreds of sorties
    through the most heavily defended areas without a scratch.
        And the B-2 takes the next generation of Stealth and applies it to a
    strategic bomber. This leap in technology will make a unique
    contribution to nuclear deterrence and will deliver the enhanced
    conventional capabilities that F-117 pilots say they'd most like to
    have: more range, more payload. The B-2 has 5 to 6 times the range and
    10 times the payload, 10 times the payload of the F-117.
        Some claim they don't understand the mission of the B-2. Well, let
    me try to clear it up. The mission of the B-2 is deterrence: nuclear
    deterrence, conventional deterrence, deterrence all across the spectrum.
    And with the smaller forces and budgets that we're looking at in the
    nineties, that's the kind of flexibility and value that America needs.
    We need the B-2 bomber. We cannot allow the House actions that would
    terminate this vital program to stand.
        Partners with the B-2 in deterrence are the new cruise missiles that
    also embody Stealth technology, and they will provide a cost effective
    way to keep some of our older bombers viable, and they add a unique
    capability to even our most modern systems.
        No student of the Gulf war can doubt how the combination of cruise
    missiles and manned aircraft can overwhelm an enemy's air defenses.
        And finally, Desert Storm should have made the importance of control
    of the air crystal clear to all. Air superiority--air superiority
    enabled the allied forces, air and surface, to operate with an
    effectiveness that amazed the world and, thank God, to operate with
    allied casualties as low as possible.
        Today's generation of fighters drove the Iraqi Air Force from the
    skies. The F-22 that we see here, the prototype of the next air
    superiority fighter, combined Stealth and maneuverability in a way that
    ensures the American forces in the next century will be able to count on
    control of the air.
        Stealth has really brought a revolution to air power. It is a leap
    in technology that comes from American genius and ingenuity. It works,
    and it's needed. And it's an edge that can help guarantee our security
    in the ever more complex world that we will face in the future. And it's
    an edge that I want to give our country, and an edge that America's
    fighting men and women deserve to have should they ever be called on
    again.
        I'll fight for Stealth, and I will fight for the B-2. And I appeal
    to the leaders here today and to others in the Congress to step up to
    the challenge and give it full support and full funding this year.
        And I want to thank you again, everybody from the Senate that took
    the time to come out here today. And for those that are committed, let
    me tell you, please let us know what we can do because this is priority,
    not simply to the administration but, in my view, to the country.
        Thank you all very much for taking the time to join us.

                        Note: The President spoke at 2:58 p.m. in Hangar 3
                            at the base. In his remarks, he referred to Gen.
                            Merrill A. McPeak, U.S. Air Force Chief of
                            Staff; Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney; Robert
                            Dole, Senate minority leader; Secretary of the
                            Air Force Donald B. Rice; Sam Nunn, chairman of
                            the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Senator
                            John W. Warner. Prior to his remarks, the
                            President participated in a briefing and toured
                            strategic and tactical fighter aircraft at the
                            base. A tape was not available for verification
                            of the content of these remarks.