The fiscal 2004 defense appropriations bill approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives includes $20 million to return more than 20 retired B-1 nuclear-capable bombers back to active service, the Abilene Reporter-News reported Friday (see GSN, June 2).

The $20 million included in the House bill would bring 23 out of 32 retired B-1s back into active service.  In 2001, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reduced the U.S. B-1 fleet of 93 bombers by a third because of cost concerns, according to the Reporter-News.  The House bill also includes $97 million to purchase parts for the B-1 fleet and more than $88 million for research and development.

The Senate version of the bill, which is expected to be considered within a week, does not contain the $20 million to reactivate retired B-1 bombers, but instead contains $100 million for parts and more than $88 million for research and development, according to the Reporter-News.  Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) are considering whether reactivating the retired bombers is viable, where the $20 million in funding would come from and whether that amount is enough, spokespeople for the senators said.

While the $20 million is enough to fund the retired bombers for a year, more funding would be needed to cover maintenance and personnel costs, said Bill Ehrie, retired commander of Dyess Air Fore Base in Texas, which has 32 active B-1s (Tara Copp, Abilene Reporter-News, July 11).

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