U.S. Air Force Bomber Sustainment and Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Abstract

The central issue addressed by this report is how much Congress should consider appropriating for the continued sustainment and modernization of the B-52, B-1, and B-2 bombers over the remainder of their service lives. Many military experts note the advanced age of the United States' long-range bomber fleet. The B-52H Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer, and B-2A Spirit are now about 50, 28, and 20 years old, respectively. Air Force Global Strike Command declared 2012 the "Year of the B-52" in honor of the 50th anniversary of the last delivery of a B-52 and the 60th anniversary of the first test flight of the YB-52. The B-1B celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010. The last B-2 delivery was in 1997. Although the Department of Defense and the Air Force are committed to the development and fielding of a new Long-Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B), flight-testing of the new bomber will likely not start until the mid-2020s. Initial development of the B-2 began in the early 1980s, and the first aircraft was delivered on December 17, 1993. If the B-2 experience is the norm, potential delivery of the first operational LRS-B may be expected sometime in the 2030 timeframe. With this in mind, can the U.S. Air Force's B-52Hs, B-1Bs, and B-2As physically last and continue to be credible weapon systems until the LRS-B is fielded? More importantly, does the nation's "legacy" bomber force possess the capabilities required to meet national security strategy objectives, especially in the face of potential adversaries possessing advanced, 21st century anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) weapon systems? The U.S. Air Force and aerospace industry's answer is "yes," provided sufficient sustainment and modernization funding is available over the remaining lifespan of these weapon systems.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 23, 2013
Accession Number
ADA590775

Entities

People

  • Michael A. Miller

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Counter WMD
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Airframes
  • Base Closures
  • Combat Areas
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Satellite Guided Weapons
  • Standoff Missiles
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Equipment
  • Treaties
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Government and Public Administration Law.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space