Delivery.

This is coolbert:

Here from the Mc Clatchy web site:

"Under the new treaty, each side could deploy its strategic warheads on no more than 700 intercontinental ballistic missiles — based on land and in submarines — and long-range bombers. They'd be allowed to keep another 100 such 'delivery vehicles' in reserve."

We are speaking here about the treaty, to be initialed tomorrow, between the U.S. and Russia, to reduce nuclear warheads on both sides, while at the same time, reducing "delivery vehicles" as well!!

Those delivery vehicles, to include the strategic manned bomber force of both nations. American B-1, B-2, and B-52 bomber aircraft, also being taken off deployed status, relegated to the scrap heap or "reserve" status.

[B-1 bombers for some time now have been strictly within the purview of the Air Force Reserve component!]

In some quarter, the reduction of the American manned strategic bomber force will be a thing of concern?

Those B-1, B-2, and most especially the "bomber" B-52 can have a dual-purpose role. Are able to deliver conventional munitions as well as nuclear in a way that missiles cannot. The U.S. manned bomber force is an important factor when U.S. military strategists devise contingency plans for fighting CONVENTIONAL WARS!!

Improved conventional munitions [ICM] as dropped from manned bombers in many instances can have the lethality of a tactical nuclear weapon! GPS and various forms of terminal guidance allows for a degree of accuracy for bomb loads hitherto thought to be impossible. And the B-52 is the planned launch vehicle for the X-51 hypersonic missile. Fire in the stand-off mode with world-wide reach!

This treaty does make provision for either side to maintain an additional 100 "delivery vehicles" in reserve. American bombers will be kept in a state of readiness, albeit as "reserves", if and when needed?

coolbert.