[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.