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42 SIPRI YEARBOOK 1986
over whether to produce more than the agreed 100 B-IB bombers continued to
remain just below the surface. The huge amount of money that is likely to be
requested for the Advanced Technology Bomber (Stealth) in 1986, coupled
with the economic consequences of abruptly halting B-IB production, will
probably force the question in 1986of buying more B-IBs.1l On 27 June the first
operational B-IB was delivered to the Strategic Air Command (SAC). Two
days later it went to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, where it officially joined the
SAC inventory. Crew selection, training flights and base preparation
continued throughout the year to prepare the first wing for its September 1986
operational capability.
Some details about the Stealth bomber came to light during the year. It is
generally believed that the first production funds, some $4.5 billion, will be
requested in the FY 1987 budget. Having consumed $2.4 billion over the past
four years, and with a possible request of $8 billion in FY 1988, the Stealth
bomber programme is rapidly becoming very expensive. The programme calls
for a prototype to be flown in late 1987/early 1988, probably at Edwards AFB,
California, with a squadron of 18 operational in 1992. The total number is
estimated to be 132, costing $50-75 billion. Senator Barry Goldwater,
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the bomber was
designed in the shape of a flying wing. Congress has been authorizing money
for Stealth without knowing very much about what the total cost might be or
about its performance characteristics. 12 Some evidence of the operational
mission conceived for the Stealth (or possibly B-IB) bomber came to light in a
remark by General Bennie Davis, former Commander-in-Chief of SAC, when
he said that an 'advanced state-of-the art bomber offers the best potential for
dealing with the growing threat posed by Soviet relocatable weapon systems' .13
Current nuclear war plans call for 'enduring' forces which in this instance would
mean that, after penetrating Soviet borders, Stealth bombers would roam
above the countryside, hunting mobile 88-24 and SS-25 ICBMs along with
other targets.
The last of five B-52G bomber wings carrying air-launched cruise missiles
(ALCMs) was made operational in December 1984. Throughout 1985
preparations were made to begin outfitting four B-52H wings with ALCMs.
The last wing would be operational at the end of 1986. The conversion of the
120th cruise missile-carrying bomber (probably some time in the fall of 1986)
will present another SALT problem to the Administration, since ALCMcapable
heavy bombers above that number must be counted against the 1320
MIRV launcher ceiling of SALT 1I. 14 The first of the more sophisticated
'stealth' versions, called the Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM), will probably be
deployed in 1987 or 1988. ,
A programme to augment the current short-range attack missile (SRAM)
with a longer-range, more accuraie missile, called SRAM II, moved forward
during 1985, with planned deployment set for 1992. In addition to the SRAM
II's primary mission of defence suppression, the missile could also be used to
destroy relocatable targets.