To be fair, the B1 bomber (which we never actually used in action) was also built to fuel economics and enrich plutocrats.
Then there was the Sea Wolf attack sub, created not because we really needed a replacement for the Los Angeles class, but our small society of submersible-savvy engineers needed to stay in practice making submarines, so the US gave them a project to do.
So I was entirely ignorant about the project to refit B1s for conventional weapons starting in the George H. W. Bush administration. So, the last thirty odd years. I had thought we’d gone from B52s to B2s regarding conventional strategic bombing.
To be fair, the B1 bomber (which we never actually used in action) was also built to fuel economics and enrich plutocrats.
Then there was the Sea Wolf attack sub, created not because we really needed a replacement for the Los Angeles class, but our small society of submersible-savvy engineers needed to stay in practice making submarines, so the US gave them a project to do.
Wut? The B1 saw plenty of action. For example:
Make no mistake it was an expensive program and didn’t deliver what was hoped, but it’s seen plenty of real world use.
So I was entirely ignorant about the project to refit B1s for conventional weapons starting in the George H. W. Bush administration. So, the last thirty odd years. I had thought we’d gone from B52s to B2s regarding conventional strategic bombing.
Pretty sure the B-one was used significantly in Afghanistan.