The U.S. Air Force Is Committed To The B-52 And B-21

The B-52 with all its ammunition. Tech Sgt. Robert Horstman/US Air Force

Steve Balestrieri, Business Insider/SOFREP: The Air Force has committed to its bombers of the future: the B-52 and the B-21

* The Air Force has decided on its bombers of the future: the new B-21 Raiders and the venerable B-52 Stratofortress.
* The service plans to move away from the relatively new B-1 and B-2 bombers, keeping the B-52, which is older than the pilots who fly it, and acquiring the B-21, the maiden flight of which is slated for October.

The Air Force's future is both moving forward and tied to the past. The bombers of the future have already been decided: They are the B-21 Raider, which is currently under development, and the venerable B-52 Stratofortress, a holdover from the Cold War, the airframes of which are older than the pilots flying them.

The plan is already in place, Lt. Gen. David Nahom, deputy chief of staff for Plans and Programs, told members of Congress on Thursday. The funding request is part of the Air Force's plan to modernize its bomber fleet and prepare for the changing needs of national security, mainly conflict with near-peer adversaries.

LTG Nahom said that the Air Force's shift to preparing for a conflict with a near-peer nation, such as China or Russia, is the driving force behind having a two-bomber fleet.

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WNU Editor:The B-52 has been flying since 1952. It looks like it is going to be flying for another 30 years.