The Nation - News from Jan. 7, 1987

The Air Force is seeking more than $600 million to correct some of the defects in its new B-1B strategic bomber, Pentagon officials say. Air Force officials said they need $420 million to find and repair problems with the plane’s electronic defense equipment, one of the key components of the bomber that is intended to serve as a cornerstone of President Reagan’s program to upgrade the nation’s nuclear forces. In addition, the Air Force has asked for money to extend the aircraft’s testing program by almost four years in an effort to identify and correct a series of problems that include flight control, terrain-following radar and missile-launching systems, Pentagon budget officials said.