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From: jcoughli@vela.acs.oakland.edu (John Coughlin)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: B1 in gulf
Summary: C-span coverage
Message-ID: <1991Jun1.013257.28927@amd.com>
Date: 31 May 91 17:28:52 GMT
References: <1991May18.050933.10816@amd.com> <1991May29.011147.7070@amd.com> <1991May31.061401.13560@amd.com>
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Organization: Oakland University
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From: jcoughli@vela.acs.oakland.edu (John Coughlin)


[ 14 lines of quotes deleted, AND excessive signature hacked down
  to size. --CDR]

I happened to be watching C-Span late one night about three weeks ago
and there were two Air Force (generals?) addressing a committee about the
merits of stealth technology (I can't remember their names). 

Their discussion went off on a tangent at one point, at which time one
of the generals stated that the B-1 was not used in the gulf simply
because the B-52's (in particular, the G model) could accomplish the
job just as well as the B-1. In addition, the B-1, while being equipped
to drop conventional bombs, is a better nuclear bomber than the B-52,
and thus, the rational was that the B-1's should be left "back home" to
continue their nuclear role.  From the way in which these two fellows
were speaking, it sounded quite unlikely that the B-1 was not included
in the Gulf war time effort due to either its lack of ability, its
cost, or its sophistication.

As for the conventional ability of the B-1(B), it can carry the
following:

	INTERNAL	EXTERNAL
MK 82	84		14
MK 84	24		14

Supposedly, the B-1b has been considered for "maritime surveilance".
It is interesting to note that, although it does not currently have 
the correct pylons or computer interfacing, the weapon systems are 
compatible with the Harpoon anti-ship  missle...

This information, (quoted from an article by Mike Spick) is rather
dated, so it might have changed.

-- 
John Coughlin
Oakland University Rochester Michigan
jcoughli@vela.acs.oakland.edu
jjcoughlin@argo.acs.oakland.edu