116th CONGRESS 2d Session |
To require the Secretary of Defense to recommend a minimum number of bomber aircraft.
June 18, 2020
Mr. Brown of Maryland (for himself and Mrs. Hartzler) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To require the Secretary of Defense to recommend a minimum number of bomber aircraft.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Long Range Bomber Expansion Act of 2020”.
SEC. 2. Minimum bomber aircraft force level.
(a) In general.—Not later than February 1, 2021, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report with recommendations for the bomber aircraft force structure that enables the Air Force to meet the requirements of its long-range strike mission under the National Defense Strategy.
(b) Elements.—The report required under subsection (a) shall include each of the following elements:
(1) The bomber force structure necessary to meet the requirements of the Air Force’s long-range strike mission under the National Defense Strategy, including—
(A) the total minimum number of bomber aircraft; and
(B) the minimum number of primary mission aircraft.
(2) The penetrating bomber force structure necessary to meet the requirements of the Air Force’s long-range strike mission in contested or denied environments under the National Defense Strategy, to include—
(A) the total minimum number of penetrating bomber aircraft; and
(B) the minimum number of primary mission penetrating bomber aircraft.
(3) A roadmap outlining how the Air Force plans to reach the force structure identified under paragraphs (1) and (2), including an established goal date for achieving the minimum number of bomber aircraft.
(c) Form.—The report submitted under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
(d) Publication.—The Secretary shall make available to the public the unclassified form of the report submitted under subsection (a).
(e) Bomber aircraft.—In this section, the term “bomber aircraft” includes penetrating bombers in addition to B–52H aircraft.