February 2, 2010
The decision to move back this program primarily reflects a need to take some of the heat out of the overall acquisition budget 'bow wave'.
A secondary, though not unimportant consideration is the continuing debate over manned versus unmanned platforms for dangerous missions such as deep-strike and SEAD - for which unmanned platforms could increasingly play a substantial role.
Thirdly the B-52 has been flying for near six decades which means the 1970s and 1980s vintage B-1 and B-2 bombers can be flown for sometime yet.
That said, military requirements and defense budget politics at some point run up against the industrial reality of the cost of maintaining design teams plus that not unimportant issue - people retire one day - maintenance of skills and knowledge have a cost all of their own.
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Defense budget, Editorial, USAF (US Air Force)
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