Armed Forces: New Life for the B-70

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When Defense Secretary Robert McNamara advised the Joint Chiefs of Staff to be candid with Congress, he need not have passed the word to tough-talking Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay. LeMay always says what he thinks—and what he thinks is clear and consistent: U.S. long-range striking power is being neglected. LeMay fought for greater strategic bomber strength as boss of the Strategic Air Command, and last week he took on the Kennedy Administration with gusto. Taking blunt issue with McNamara's proposed 1962-63 budget, LeMay told the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee that the Air Force must have 300 new Minuteman ICBMs instead of the planned 200. LeMay also took issue with McNamara's plan to spend a total of $1,300,000,000 to develop the B70 supersonic bomber during the coming years. LeMay claimed that $5,000,000,000 should be spent to develop the sleek bomber.

When the Air Force presented the same arguments to President Kennedy in January, he flatly rejected them. McNamara contended that the arguments were based more on emotion than on hard facts. He was ready for LeMay's dissent on Capitol Hill—but not for LeMay's charge that the Administration's proposals "might weaken the nation's striking power." Blasting back, McNamara ordered a Pentagon spokesman to explain that the budget includes a $2 billion increase in strategic power as well as additional funds for conventional warfare.

At week's end, LeMay's argument for the B70 appeared to be winning in Congress. When the legislators appropriated more money than he wanted last year, McNamara merely refused to spend it. This time the House Armed Services Committee not only voted an extra $491 million for the big bombers for the coming fiscal year, but "directed" that it be used—something no one is sure Congress can do. Clearly, Curt LeMay had again had his say—and his day.