Approved For Release 2000/08/08 : CIA-RDP96-00789ROO0300810003-7 THE WASHINGTON POST Air Force Unveils the B2, Its Radar-EvadinLy Stealth Bomber By George C. Wilson MA"',ow" N't SIOMit" PALMDALE, Calif., Nov. 22- With a guard dog standing under each wingtip, the nation's $500 mil- lion Stealth bomber was rolled out of the dark of its top-secret hangar here today into the sunshine of open space for its public unveiling. Shouts and cheers from hundreds of the 2,200 Noribrop Corp. work- er& sho built this newest strategic bomber erupted as the hangar doors parted, revealing 0, A--ud- gray rhdar-evading airc -hat t looks like a stingray, "We are not just rolling out Ame-rica's newest strategic bomb- er," said Air Force Secretary Ed- ward C. Aldridge Jr. "We are ush- ering in a new age of strategic de- terrence." The Air Force secretary said it was "America's enduring hope and prayer that this magnificent aircraft will never fly in anger" but instead will further deter nuclear war be- tween the United S tates and Soviet . to Hundreds Union of Concerned Union. offer of Northrop Scientists _jtopi."91 security' and can a . =?~ % - ui Should close fend-police, others, the deterrence in some Soviets would fail n leading see U.S. the mis- giving police de dogs, , er watched missiles such %n go t i~,me reporters as the MX as sion of to shoot and a first- the Stealth at, it. other bomber ' guests is to , fly , M every strike threat de e an step to Soviet in , , I of the issiles. The 9(.,L -A way gh over carrJ is- as they the Soviet , 2 Union _ytgs search- ~ f nuclear and conventioU y moved , which would ing out - around fly as a mop-up, and destroying the missiles Air tha Force t plant de- here. operation after have not siles The the United already and bomber, States been guid was had launched fired off kept its missiles an It 200 under this d to feet away from reporters and knocking out command e scenario posts in the would attack U rand the mobile t n t d ith it touched MO s , by retaliatory s missiles that waves an the Soviet of s Unio , w h s d gu g i t d t ~ h U.S. missiles 'ifai_ n n fired u e a earlier e n h from same oward Id la as t nd e guests so se po the secret e and sea, the featurQ back for a second-strike older of the re- B52 flying li th ~ ftktAii- ' , s aft ta The bomber, ~ end atory blow. designated ~ were the"t aab6ul wing ~ not revealed. th - " In U.S.-Soviet Aldridge dismissed looked e fiegotiations this argument strikingly ter to sleek 1 and small O as ffl -reduce at a news conference r the after the cer- . strategk . weapons -- now stood ti mony today, on a T contending prairie J~ that the of cement e - out- A pointed id .,ce at each th P. superpower, Ai 1.. there F tdltifl~, -- f h b b 6 l l ~ s o B2 would put e t has been more of the e e agreeme Soviets' r om that orce factory ers, each where with side it thi e m e 6 was assembled. out should "Irmaking capability Every today be able at risk and surface scheduled to I has to it at fly the early weap- been smoothed next ons of therefore help and rounded year the convince Soviet to slip to other plan- nearby hrough Edwards on-site Air throdgh Force inspection, ners that a rather Base, Critics nuclear strike than where f the on the reflect it B2 con- radar will be tested, beams and tend United States W a has become the would be a 4 operational Air losing a in Force the crecy imposed enough 1990s. proposition. The on the undercut -- cost bomber those ' of wil ' the p fleet of 132 ' om Rep. Beverly om;date rs B. &a (D-Md.), t ra rms-controlions a lusi on negot 4 602 to ' p b be nges from $60 billi $70 rmed Ser- at billion, Asked member of the or two or here Muse A extra from to to serve $450 y W~ether as million he S to 500 millio a l Ald id id ,r ,re n vices Committee r . ~: ane. ould and early backer during r allow an exhausting ge the sa iviets p to get a the of the Stealth flight Air close bomber, agreed from Force look with the United will at the States provide lealth to the detailed Aldrid B e 2 , Aldridge that Soviet cost g deployment Union estimates "We'll of the B2 and back. when let 1 it t4m submits count it replied but 1 . its , would not be The plane fiscal , destabilizing, is'RDV 1990 we're but said t budget not our Je in going January. to kt Th them Ai get F u p e she was not iWO-91h r close sure all 132 pods-At"' orce to it." would have i ffi_e_`wi'ng, until If he with today had b has his b ro- way, ilt cloaked said id the hi Stealth bomber p to heavili gram the secretary, e fii&Os in who'bas u and: secrecy, announced to prov ex- Aldridge e t " said s extra " the measure of deterrence , She said ', - - - " h1usts Air he will . to Force leave Congress might riedu decided office decide 50 to c to soon, 100 aei reveal the e what Soviets e c tiO n from radar the would 132s are enough. or heit-seeking B2 get sensors. looks no closer The like than ' because the ~ it 200- would B2 will soon foot "A lot is going fly a~SO*. be range to depend on tpecds, flying reporters its and anyway, and Ak meaning guests the will need service were test program," aerial would kept she said. She i4iieling not at today, said to reach be able to hide Soviet the Another the future of targets plane's criticism the B2 fleet from appearance of the will have U.S. from B2 is bases either and return. thft ',q ) At Me i ApQ r d U 0 i 1 Fy as the 4im qv RWOMM(00133u, .00" PtRM p F q hy Mg q n e ~ - s r , e -age e's4liat0 U, ng, spaceabsorb a r rogram moves a-, carbon.co , 0 into the early ropw1k r ft . 19903 m tire * down in times on 0 ension, this Un. countryside of brown radar desert der this The energy, and theory, Air Force in the plane sharp espoused the 1960s built is designed hills. by the a strategic bomber designated the RS70 to perform the same mission as the B2. President John F. Ken nedy, after a fierce debate in Con gress and elsewhere, canceled that version of the B70 bomber in 1962 on the argument that its added de a terrent va ue w 8 not enough to justify the cost of producing it, Gen, Larry D. Wiilch, Air Force chief of staff, mindful of the coming budget crunch, said the B2 "com- pletely warrants continued, unwa- vering support ... the overriding purpose of this new bomber is to ensure that we never need employ it.,, The flying wing B2 rolled out today I&oks -*ry sinil the 0 disi by' the"S e--)ack 4 rt to# Oe 1040a.. The Air Force- th~n'~~s enthusiastic about the flying wing, but canceled its order for 30 after one crashed, money became scarce and then-Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington insisted on a merger of aerospace companies, which Northrop op- posed. Thomas V. Jones, chief executive Officer of Northrop Corp., today said that Jack Northrop had been briefed on this new version of the flying wing shortly before he died. In closing his speech hailing the B2 Jones said, "Jack Northrop, we sa' lute you As tow trucK and security guaras move away, tne Air vorce's now B26tealth bomber sits for its first public pictures at Northrop Corp. plant in Palmdale, Calif.