Defense Watch: B-21 Export, F-35 Availability, New Sub Leader

摘要

B-21 Exports? The Air Force has not yet addressed any plans to export the B-21 Raider as thenext-generation bomber moves through development, Will Roper, the service’s acquisition chief,told reporters Nov. 12. “I’m going to keep my head focused on getting to Initial OperationalCapability on time and then I’ll let the debate go where it goes,” he said. Roper acknowledgedthat the aircraft may be an appealing export. “I’ve heard from our warfighters many times thatwhen we go into an allied fight only the U.S. is bringing bombers. So I can understand whydiversifying is something that an operator would want,” he said. “But it’s a nuclear bomberthat’s going to have a lot of our best military technology in it, so exportability and being able tosecure those technologies is a difficult challenge, as it is for anything that we export.”