July 27, 2017
The US Air Force Needs More Bombers Than It’s Asking For
In a future combat zone dominated by advanced 3-D air search radars, directed-energy weapons, electromagnetic railguns, and hypersonic missiles, there is still room — indeed, a strong requirement — for the new B-21 heavy bomber. Analysis suggests that the United States needs a lot of them, far more than the 100 new bombers the Air Force currently desires.
To prosecute a major, sustained long-range strike campaign within an anti-access/area denial environment dominated by China’s HQ-9 or Russia’s S-400 missiles, the Air Force needs to add a minimum of 164 B-21 bombers to the nation’s older but nonetheless relevant B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. This is because heavy bombers, whose form and function have been honed in hot and cold wars over a century, can perform missions and hit targets that no other platform can.
Read the full article in Defense One.
More from CNAS
-
A World Full of Missiles
If the United States wants to maintain its role as the international security guarantor in today’s missile age, it must reckon with this growing cost....
By Andrew Metrick
-
Deterring the Powerful Enemy
It is a privilege to testify here on matters that are important to the vital national security interests of the United States, as well as those of our other allies and partner...
By Tom Shugart
-
Preserving U.S. Military Advantage Amid Rapid Technological Change
We live in a period of tremendous technological change. This disruption creates opportunities for the United States but also for our adversaries. To sustain its battlefield ad...
By Paul Scharre
-
The history and evolution of drones and their use in modern warfare
Stacie Pettyjohn joins BBC Newshour to discuss how drones continue to shape and change the modern battlefield. Listen to the full episode and more from BBC Newshour....
By Stacie Pettyjohn