Gen. Charles D. Link, who led the Air Force effort in the Quadrennial Defense Review. Mainly, though, the shortage of planning for long range airpower can be attributed to relative budget priorities, in which other needs were deemed more urgent or important. No matter why the priorities drifted that way, the time has come to adjust them. By the 2010s, attrition and technology will take their toll on the force of today. It is not yet clear whether the next step should be a variant of the B-2, a different bomber, unmanned aerial vehicles, or a combination of these.
Some people are no doubt convinced the day of the bomber is over.
The thought has arisen before. That did not happen, nor did the bomber force lose its utility at the end of the Cold War. Among those who believe it still has a future is the House National Security subcommittee on Military Procurement. After hearing the Welch panel's report, the subcommittee directed the Air Force to prepare a long-term bomber force structure plan and present it to Congress by March 1, 1999.