According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Pentagon is behind in defining specific requirements for a new Long Range Strike platform, but it has speculated about eight “classes” of long-range weapons that might fill the bill. The eight include aircraft, long-range missiles, and space-based weapons, states the CBO in a new 60-page report that examines how well each would perform and the costs to develop them. Under the heading “arsenal aircraft,” we find the C-17 armed with a supersonic, long-range missile. There are also medium- and long-range subsonic and supersonic bombers and surface-based and space-based unmanned vehicles. One of the more obvious conclusions: The C-17 as an arsenal aircraft would be lower cost than a new bomber but very vulnerable to enemy air defenses.
Back from a Thanksgiving week recess, the push to pass the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act hit another snag Nov. 29, as the Senate voted against ending debate on its version of the bill. At the same time, Congress is staring down a Dec. 3 expiration date for its continuing…