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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: Military Gearing for Battle

Aired September 20, 2001 - 07:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Time now to check in with Jeff Flock, who joins us from the Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri -- Jeff, what's going on there this morning?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a little quieter out here on the plains of Missouri, Paula. Indeed, we are outside the main security checkpoint here at Whiteman. Perhaps you can see, I want to give you some indication of the increased security here.

Last I was here two years ago during the Kosovo conflict, nothing like this in terms of security. We had access much deeper into the base. But you can see out here heavy security outside Whiteman Air Force Base. Why is this important? Well, it's because this is home to the nation's B-2 bomber fleet. That is better known as the stealth bomber. The interesting thing about this, of course, is that it's not an aircraft, one of those aircraft that we've been reporting on that would be fully deployed to somewhere in either Europe or somewhere overseas.

These bombers are designed to fly out of this base and this base alone and then to come on back.

We have some pictures that we took the last time we were here, as we mentioned, the Kosovo conflict. That was the first successful bombing missing for the B-2 or the stealth. Two, a crew of two, a two man crew, I should say, flew one stealth bomber out of this base all the way to Serbia, dropped 32 2,000 pound bombs on Serb targets and then flew all the way back. It's a 31 hour round trip. And by our calculations, it would be an even longer flight onto either targets in Afghanistan or, as some have speculated, perhaps Iraq.

But at this point we make it -- want to make it very clear we have no information to indicate that the stealth bomber would be put up as part of any coming air attack. This is an aircraft that they do not like to put up if they don't have to.

One of the key elements of this asset it its stealth capabilities. Obviously, if there was an attack on Afghanistan without significant air defenses, it would not necessarily be necessary to put the stealth out there. There are other aircraft they can use. These planes run at about $2 billion, so if you lose one, it is a big loss, indeed.

Of course, today throughout the day, Paula, we will be watching here at Whiteman for any indication, any kind of movement here. But as you can see right now, heavy security as this base gears up for the morning shift -- back to you.

ZAHN: Jeff, have you had a chance to talk to any of the men and women based there to see what their reaction might be to potential deployment?

FLOCK: I just talked to a base official just a short time ago. It is very interesting to note how much more tight the security is and the information flow is this time. I know from talking to these B-2 pilots the last time we were here that they are all very eager to do what they do best, but having talked to them, having not talked to any of them today, I don't know what their specific mind set is today with regard to this potential mission -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Jeff Flock, thanks so much for that report.

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