As the Air Force looks to bring on next-generation fighter and bomber platforms, commanders are grappling with what this future technology means for the service’s legacy fleets.The Air Force has tried unsuccessfully to decommission the A-10 attack plane to make way for the F-35 joint strike fighter. Now, one top general says the service will need to retire one of its three existing bomber fleets in order to support the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B), officially designated the B-21.It’s not just the Air Force’s limited resource pool, both in cash and in manpower, that’s driving this decision, commanders emphasized here during the Air Force Association’s air warfare symposium. At some point, legacy airplanes just can’t keep up with new capabilities and new threats.
Bombers
When B-21 comes online next decade, the Air Force will have to make some tough choices on what to do with its legacy bomber fleet, Rand said Feb. 25 during a media roundtable. The newest bomber, the B-2, is already 25 years old; meanwhile the service is still flying 1980s B-1s and 1950s B-52s.
When the Air Force begins to phase in the B-21, it will be “very, very difficult” to maintain all four bomber fleets due to shortfalls in money and manpower, Rand said.
“What we need to do with the discussion of LRS-B now is modify and refine where do we want to be in 2025 and out, and what — based on capacity, capability again — what are we going to be able to afford and maintain?” Rand said.
Rand will present a roadmap to the Air Force major commands and the chief of staff toward the end of March that lays out his strategy for bringing the bomber force into the future. The plan will include the B-21, upgrades for legacy platforms, and a recommendation on whether to retire older airplanes, he said.
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