AEROSPACE

No More B-2 Bombers Needed, Pentagon Study Says: The study found that the United States does not need more than the 20 planes being provided by Northrop Grumman Corp., defense officials said. The study, ordered by Congress and scheduled for release by the Defense Department, rejects calls by Northrop Grumman to build an additional 20 of the radar-avoiding, bat-wing aircraft at an estimated cost of up to $30 billion. Additional stocks of modern guided weapons and upgrades now planned for older B-1 and B-52 bombers are adequate to meet the Pentagon’s goal of being able to fight and win two nearly simultaneous major regional wars. The two-month study concluded that the military cannot afford more B-2s in the wake of deep budget cuts.