4 points you need to know: The A-12 Avenger, a US Navy stealth bomber concept, was developed to replace the aging A-6E Intruder and provide deep-streak capability from aircraft carriers.

– Despite its advanced design, which included stealth bombers and internal weapons bays, the program faced rising costs and was eventually canceled by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney in 1991 after $5 billion had already been spent.

– This decision left the Navy without a modern bomber and instead relied on the F/A-18 Hornet and later the F-35C.

-The cancellation is now seen as a missed opportunity, especially given the increasing threats from China.

Why stopping construction of the A-12 Avenger was a costly mistake for the US Navy

The US Navy once had an intriguing concept for its own stealth bomber. The A-12 Avenger would have given the Navy the ability to conduct deep-sweep strikes from an aircraft carrier.

It was a B-2 Spirit flying wing aircraft that could have penetrated enemy air defenses.

However, the high cost and reduced post-Cold War defense budgets due to the “peace dividend” (the belief that the collapse of the Soviet Union required lower defense spending) spelled the demise of the A-12.

The A-6E bomber was valuable, but it was time to move on

The A-12 was intended to replace the Navy’s workhorse, the A-6E Intruder, which was introduced in 1963, and it was time for something new. The Navy yearned for its own stealth bomber in the 1980s and wanted hundreds of A-12s. The Marine Corps and even the Air Force showed interest in the new A-12.

The A-12 would be faster and have higher altitude, better radar and longer range than the A-6E, as well as internal weapons bays and an ideal radar cross-section. But the A-12 would be expensive. The requirements of an aircraft carrier meant that the flying wing had to be compact, lightweight and foldable. These considerations would be difficult for the design team and would drive up the price.

A-12 Avenger cancelled for cost reasons

In 1991, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney had to make a difficult decision.

On paper, the A-12 Avenger was an exciting project for the Navy. But the Department of Defense had already invested $5 billion in the program and unit cost estimates were rising to $96 million per aircraft. The A-12 Avenger would have given the Navy a new and powerful option for its carrier-based aircraft. It could also have helped the Marines.

But Cheney viewed the A-12 as an expensive problem that was getting more expensive every year. The Cold War was ending, and perhaps another bomber was simply not in the cards. Cheney probably considered that the number of bombers in the entire military during Operation Desert Storm was sufficient, and the Navy could get by with cruise missiles. Taking all of this into account, he asked Congress to stop funding the A-12.

This was a questionable decision, as the Navy was now without a modern bomber. It resorted to the F/A-18 Hornet and implemented plans for a Super Hornet with bombing capability. The F-14 Tomcat was more of a fighter/interceptor without deep strike capability. So the F-35C eventually became a carrier-based stealth aircraft.

An A-12 bomber would be valuable today

Was the cancellation of the A-12 a false economy?

Stealth systems, while expensive, have obvious advantages. The A-12 Avenger could have been useful in Iraq and Afghanistan. An A-12 today could have given the Navy a greater ability to stand up to the Chinese in the East and South China Seas. The Marines could have used it on Okinawa to relieve pressure on the Navy in East Asia.

The cancellation of the A-12 mission hurt the U.S. Navy and handcuffed the military as China posed an increasingly greater threat following the end of conflicts in the Middle East.

Therefore, the decision to stop construction of the A-12 Avenger was a disappointment that some naval strategists would have preferred to avoid.

About the author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. EastwoodPhD, is author of People, machines and data: future trends in warfareHe is an expert on new threats and a former infantry officer in the US Army.

Image credit: Creative Commons.