Aspin Questions Value of Stealth Bomber

The skyrocketing cost of the B-2 stealth bomber “raises considerable concerns and questions about its value and affordability,” Chairman Les Aspin (D-Wis.) of the House Armed Services Committee said in a letter to Defense Secretary Dick Cheney.

Aspin contended in a May 5 letter released Monday that the planned fleet of 132 radar-eluding bombers will cost $75 billion, instead of the Air Force’s most recent estimate of $68 billion.

Declassification Urged

He urged Cheney to declassify information on the advanced airplane’s performance, mission and test schedule to help lawmakers determine whether the plane is worth the money.

Cheney already has acknowledged trouble with the program and has ordered a full-scale review to address questions about the bomber’s cost and technical feasibility.

An Air Force spokesman said Monday that the review, being conducted by the Defense Acquisition Board, would answer Aspin’s questions. A preliminary report is expected by June 15, he said.

Production of the plane has been delayed a year while the Pentagon studies the program and Northrop engineers try to solve problems with the B-2’s fuel system, hydraulics, computer software and other systems. The first test flight is still set for late spring or summer, officials said.

Cheney told lawmakers last month that he was cutting the bomber’s budget by $1.1 billion for the 1990 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and $2.8 billion for 1991 to reflect the new schedule.

“The fact that the program may cost an estimated $75 billion, an increase of $17 billion in two years, raises considerable concerns and questions about its value and affordability,” Aspin wrote Cheney. “A straightforward accounting of the B-2’s cost, schedule, capabilities and management would contribute to the program’s credibility and accountability.”

Aspin also said that the “piecemeal approach” to declassifying information about the largely secret plane has fueled speculation about new, hidden problems. The lawmaker said that recent reports about technical problems and delays in the program have “done little to reduce skepticism about the B-2, particularly in the current budget environment.”