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| June 24, 1999 |
| June 24, 1999 |
Lessons of Kosovo: More B-2 Bombers?
Chris Hellman, Senior Analyst, chellman@cdi.org
Now that the B-2 is a combat veteran, having seen repeated action in the skies over Kosovo, supporters of the much maligned bomber are once again pushing the Air Force to buy additional B-2s.
The first B-2 was delivered to the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the aircraft's only operational base, in December, 1993. The twentieth B-2 was christened there in May of this year. Of the twenty bombers currently in the fleet, only six are "Block 30" models, the most capable of the aircraft, although all 21 will eventually be upgraded to "Block 30" status.
B-2s first saw action on March 24 -- Day 1 of the air campaign against Yugoslavia -- when 2 B-2s each dropped 16 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMS). Over the course of the air campaign six B-2s flew an estimated 50 combat missions, or roughly one percent of all NATO sorties flown. They delivered 1.4 million pounds of bombs, about 11 percent of the total used during the air war. On several occasions individual B-2s were reported to have attacked sixteen separate targets during a single mission.
Yet despite the positive reviews that the aircraft has received from Pentagon officials and the raves from its Congressional supporters, several questions remain about the B-2s actual performance and whether purchasing additional aircraft makes sense.
Stealth technology did not bring about the anticipated reduction in support aircraft needed for combat operations. After the March 27 crash of an F-117A "Stealth" fighter, both the F-117As and B-2s begin flying with escorts of Navy EA-6B radar jamming aircraft.
The Air Force decided to retire its fleet of radar-jamming EF-111 "Ravens" in 1991 primarily because it envisioned a fleet of stealthy F-117As, B-2s and F-22 fighters operating without the jamming support needed by conventional aircraft.
The Pentagon's reversal on the need for radar-jammers left the Navy's fleet of fleet of 91 EA-6B "Prowlers," -- 30 of which were used to support air operations in Kosovo -- overburdened by the unexpected new requirements to escort F-117As and B-2s. As a result, the Navy has stated it will need at least 50 additional jammer aircraft.
Maj. Gen. Dennis G. Haines, Air Combat Command's director of combat operations, acknowledged the significance of the Air Force's lack of a jamming capability. At a conference on June 24, the General said, "stealth reduces the signature of an aircraft but it does not make it invisible. We have really neglected [electronic warfare]."
The ability to operate autonomously has long been a big selling point used by B-2 supporters. Repeatedly the Air Force stated how the B-2 dramatically cut operational costs by reducing support requirements. In a now famous chart, two B-2s with a combined crew of four armed with smart munitions were shown to be capable of performing the same mission that would normally require 55 aircraft of all types and over 100 aircrew.
Yet in practice, the B-2 did not operate alone during Operation Allied Force. Flying out of Whiteman AFB in pairs, B-2s required mid-air refuelings for each leg of the 30 hour round trip mission. Over the target area, B-2s were escorted by F-15s which provided air cover, F-16s to provide fire suppression against enemy anti-aircraft systems, as well as support from airborne air traffic controllers and systems which monitored enemy communications, as well as their "Prowler" escort. In all, often more than a dozen aircraft supported B-2 missions.
The B-2's grueling, 30 hour missions during Operation Allied Force were the result of the aircraft's inability to operate from airfields not equipped to meet their unique maintenance needs. The radar-absorbing materials that give the aircraft its stealthy characteristics require special maintenance and storage facilities, currently only available at Whiteman AFB. Ironically, these long flights increased the wear and tear on the B-2's vulnerable skin, exacerbating existing maintenance problems.
Maintenance of the B-2 has long been an issue of concern. A report by the General Accounting Office released on June 10 found that the B-2 required an average of 24.6 maintenance hours for each hour of flying. While this is a significant improvement over earlier maintenance requirements, the Air Force acknowledges that it does not expect to meet upcoming deadlines for achieving the target of 17.7 hours. This is the sixth GAO report in five years that has been critical of the B-2's performance.
For more from the latest GAO report on the B-2, see "Defense Acquisitions: Achieving B-2A Bomber Operational Requirements." NSIAD-99-97, June 10, 1999.
Turkey's Shopping Spree
By Tomas Valasek, Research Analyst, tvalasek@cdi.org
(The following is an excerpt from an upcoming CDI study of Turkey's arms modernization program.)
Historically among the most active buyers of weapons in the world (ranked third on the list of major recipients of weapons between 1994 and 1998), Turkey is readying to implement one of the most ambitious military modernization programs in the post-Cold War era.
Introduced in 1996, the Turkish military's $150 billion program aims at wholesale modernization of the armed forces over a period of 25 to 30 years. The bulk of the funds -- $60 billion -- have been allocated to the Army. The main staples of the procurement plans are the purchase of 145 attack helicopters and 1,000 main battle tanks (see the attached table). Virtually all purchase plans require corresponding offsets by foreign investment in Turkey or a co-production arrangement with local arms manufacturers.
The program is being funded through a combination of the Turkish Defense Department's share of the government budget and a separate Defense Industry Support Fund. The latter source draws its funding from private donations and a special tax on alcohol, gambling, tobacco, gasoline, and imported goods.
Arms purchases by Turkey tend to be highly politicized. Because of Ankara's dubious human rights record, exporters in some countries, such as the United States, face domestic opposition to selling arms to Turkey. For example, the U.S. Department of State issued a list of detailed criteria for granting an export license for U.S. attack helicopters to Turkey. Among other criteria, the document requires that Ankara release journalists and parliamentarians from prison and end torture before the U.S. helicopters can be sold to Turkey.
However, as one of the largest customers on the arms market, Turkey is in a unique position to influence export policies in the weapons manufacturing countries by simply threatening to withhold the order or to award it to another producer. In June 1998, Turkey suspended arms talks with France in protest to the passage in the French National Assembly of a bill recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide. Similarly, in 1998, the Italian company Agusta SpA was briefly scratched from the list of contenders for Turkey's order of 145 attack helicopters after the Rome government gave shelter to Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. When the Italian company was returned to the competition in March 1999, many analysts ascribed the move to Ankara's attempts to put pressure on the U.S. government to allow sale of American helicopters to Turkey. In a May 1999 interview, a member of the Turkish General Staff, Gen Batmaz Dandin, warned the U.S. Administration that Turkey may shift its business away from the United States. "It would be quite normal for us to invest our money in other countries where we are sure that there will be no restrictions on weapon system transfers," he said.
While Turkey remains a difficult customer, weapons producers are willing and eager to brave the political obstacles in order to sell. The world weapons market has lost over a third of its volume since 1989. The perception in the United States is that with decreasing orders from the U.S. Department of Defense, production lines can only be saved by selling weapons abroad. When Greece opted to buy F-16s instead of F-15s in May 1999, the manufacturer of the latter aircraft -- Boeing -- decided to shut down a production line in St. Louis and cut 7,000 jobs. Threatened with the loss of jobs and contracts, U.S. producers and Congress are increasing pressure on the State Department to not only allow but also to actually help arrange sales of U.S. weapons abroad.
MAJOR ITEMS ON THE TURKISH MODERNIZATION PROGRAM
ITEM: 145 attack helicopters
VALUE: $3.5 - 4.5 billion
BIDDERS: Boeing, Bell Helicopter Textron (U.S.A.), Eurocopter (France,
Germany), Agusta (Italy), Kamov (Russia)
ITEM: 1,000 main battle tanks
VALUE: $5-7 billion
BIDDERS: General Dynamics (U.S.A.), Kraus-Maffei (Germany), GIAT (France),
Vickers Defence Systems (U.K.), IMI (Israel), T-72 (Russia)
ITEM: Five advanced frigates
VALUE: $1.5 billion
BIDDERS: N/A
ITEM: 4 airborne early warning aircraft
VALUE: $1 billion
BIDDERS: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman (U.S.A.), IAI (Israel)
ITEM: 8 heavy cargo helicopters
VALUE: $150-240 million
BIDDERS: Boeing, Sikorsky (U.S.A.) Mil (Russia)
Yugoslavia Ends War -- The Yugoslav parliament lifted the state of war in the country amidst signs of growing unrest against President Milosevic. The debate was marked by attacks on the Yugoslav president for his conduct of the Kosovo conflict. The leaders of Montenegro, the last republic in the Yugoslav federation other than Serbia, demand a "revised" status with much more political autonomy.
Demilitarizing the KLA -- A demilitarization plan for the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) has been signed in Pristina, Kosovo. According to the agreement reached between KLA representatives and NATO, all weapons, except non-automatic small arms, sidearms, and hunting rifles will be handed over for storage within 30 days. Full demilitarization of the KLA is to take place within 90 days.
Aid for Landmine Victims -- Highlighting the impact of landmines in the Balkans, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched an appeal to aid the victims of landmines around the world. The ICRC is calling for $69 million in funds to cover its efforts over the next five years. The ICRC currently operates mine-awareness programs in six countries, as well as treatment and rehabilitation programs in 11 countries. The ICRC is targeting national Red Cross and Red Crescent Chapters, governments and private donations with its appeal.
Army to buy V-22? -- Gen. Charles Krulak, Commandant of the Marine Corps, thinks that the Army will be forced to buy the V-22 "Osprey" tiltrotor aircraft. "The Army will have to use it for their regular lift. You can't have one service going three times as fast as another." The Marine Corps plans to buy 360 V-22s to replace its medium lift helicopters. Originally the Army had planned to purchase 231 V-22s, but opted out of the program in 1987.
USAF loses Two F-15s --Two F-15C/D aircraft were lost in a crash on June 15 during "Y2K Flag," a training exercise to test systems for "bugs" related to the Year 2000 computer problem. The incident occurred at Nellis AFB in Nevada. The aircraft were six miles apart at the time, and neither pilot was seriously injured. The cause is under investigation, but Air Force officials don't think it was related to the Y2K problem as neither aircraft had engaged testing software at the time of the accident.
This Week On America's Defense Monitor: "The Human Costs of America's
Arms Sales"
Viewers come face to face with the people affected by U.S. weapons sales to nondemocratic regimes. Three case studies -- Turkey, Colombia, and Indonesia -- are explored. Turkey, a NATO partner and the guardian of 20,000 Kosovar refugees from the Yugoslav civil war, uses American weapons to conduct war against its own Kurdish citizens. Human rights are the first casualty when governments rely on U.S. weapons rather than genuine political reform to remain in power.
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