US Global Strike

8/18/2019 US Global Strike

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AMERICA’SSTRATEGICWARFIGHTERS

THE CONTINUOUSBOMBERPRESENCE

AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMAND - AMERICA’S NUCLEAR BOMBER FORCE

THE AIRCRAFT • THE OPERATIONS • THE WEAPONS

GlobalStrike


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wing and group are also gained by AFGSCand share responsibility for operating thebombers at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, andBarksdale AFB and Dyess AFB, Texas.Co-located with the AFGSC at Barksdale and led

by a major general, 8AF serves as the ComponentNumbered Air Force (C-NAF) for USSTRATCOMand is designated Task Force 204. The com-mand’s bombers provide conventional supportfor US Northern Command (NORTHCOM),US Central Command (CENTCOM), US PacificCommand (PACOM) and US Southern Command(SOUTHCOM) as required and are regularly

deployed in support of expeditionary operations.Air Force Global Strike Command exercises

annually with every combatant commandand joint partner through the BomberAssurance And Deterrence (BAAD) mission.An example of that mission occurred on

July 1, 2015 when two B-52s conducted a44-hour nonstop mission from BarksdaleAFB to Australia’s Northern Territory anddelivered inert conventional bombs againsttargets on the Delamere Air Weapons Range.The BAAD mission was carried out as partof the Pentagon’s effort to reassure allies

in Asia amid heightened tensions duringChina’s construction of military facilities ondisputed islands in the South China Sea.The Twentieth Air Force (20AF), also designated

as USSTRATCOM’s Task Force 214, is responsiblefor three missile wings (MWs) operating around450 LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBMs. Led by amajor general and headquartered at FE Warren

AFB, Wyoming, the command’s missiles arelocated in a series of underground silos spreadout along the northern tier of the Midwest US.On March 27, 2015 the 582nd Helicopter

Group was activated under 20AF and assumedresponsibility for three helicopter squadronsthat had been assigned directly to the MWs.

Testing, tacticsand maintenanceDevelopment testing is the responsibility ofAir Force Materiel Command’s Air Force TestCenter (AFTC) at Edwards AFB, California. The412th Test Wing’s 419th Flight Test Squadron(FLTS) ‘Global Bombers’ operates two B-1Bs,two B-52Hs and a single B-2A for trials work.Also at Edwards, the 31st Test and Evaluation

Squadron (TES) conducts combined opera-tional and developmental testing using thebombers assigned to the 419th FLTS. It is a

Assure’

Responsibility for the US airborne nuclear deterrent rests with Air Force Global Strike Command, although its B-1B,

B-2A and

B-52H

bombers

also

have important conventional attack and power projection roles. Tom Kaminski reports.

www.airforcesdaily.com AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMAND 3

Above: Two B-1B Lancers from Dyess AFB, Texas, fly a low-level training mission over New Mexico. At onetime the most controversial bomber in USAF history, the B-1 has survived and adapted itself from a Cold War- era nuclear striker to one of the most effective close air support platforms currently flying. Jim ‘Hazy’ Haseltine


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geographically separated unit (GSU) of the 53rdWing’s 53rd Test and Evaluation Group (TEG),which is a component of ACC’s USAF WarfareCenter. Respectively based at Barksdale,Whiteman and Dyess, the 49th, 72nd and337th TES are also GSUs of the 53rd TEGand conduct operational test and evaluationusing aircraft assigned to the host wings.Stationed at Dyess, Whiteman and Barksdale,

the 77th, 325th and 340th Weapons Squadronsare GSUs of ACC’s 57th Wing and the USAFWeapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Eachprovides advanced training in weaponsand tactics employment to senior aircrew,using aircraft assigned to the host wings.The responsibility for life cycle management

of the bomber fleet is assigned to the USAFSustainment Center’s Oklahoma City AirLogistics Complex (OC-ALC) at Tinker AFB,Oklahoma. Northrop Grumman typically car-ries out B-2A programmed depot maintenance(PDM) and major modifications at its Aircraft

GLOBAL STRIKE AMERICA'S NUCLEAR BOMBER FORCEGLOBAL STRIKE AMERICA'S NUCLEAR BOMBER FORCE

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Above: A B-52H from the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Wing based at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, flies over

the Pacific Ocean on a training mission from Andersen AFB, Guam. The small island of Guam has been atemporary home to B-52s since the 1960s. Jim ‘Hazy’ HaseltineBelow: Inert Mk 62 Quick Strike mines hang in the bomb bay of a B-52H Stratofortress at RAF Fairford,Gloucestershire, on June 11, 2015. The mines were used in exercise BALTOPS 2015. Groundcrew loadedtwo B-52s with nine mines each, so aircrews could test their ability to precisely drop the munitions onto atarget located off the coast of Sweden. USAF

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Integration Center of Excellence in Palmdale,California. Similar efforts for the B-52H andB-1B are generally carried out by OC-ALC’s76th Aircraft Maintenance Group at Tinker.

BUFFsFlown for the first time as the semi-operationalB-52A in 1954, the Stratofortress or BUFF(Big Ugly Fat ‘Fellow’) is the longest servingcombat aircraft in US history. The venerablelong-range heavy bomber has an impressivecombat record that includes the VietnamWar and Operations Desert Storm, DesertFox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and IraqiFreedom. It has served as the backbone ofthe manned strategic bomber force, taskedwith missions including strategic attack,close air support, air interdiction, offensivecounter-air and global maritime strike.The first B-52Bs entered operational service

on June 29, 1955 and the last of 102 B-52Hs

was built in October 1962. Today, 74 aircraftremain in AFGSC service, including 18assigned to AFRC. Although the average age ofthe aircraft is 55.6 years, the B-52H is expectedto remain in service into the 2040 timeframe.Five combat-coded squadrons currently oper-

ate the Stratofortress, including four active-dutyand an AFRC associate squadron. AnotherAFRC squadron is tasked as the formaltraining unit (FTU) and supported by an activeassociate squadron. The fleet’s 44 bombersare divided between the 2nd Bomb Wing(BW) at Barksdale and the 5th BW at MinotAFB, North Dakota. The four operationalsquadrons at Barksdale and Minot are eachassigned 11 combat-coded aircraft and oneconsidered Backup Aircraft Inventory (BAI).The ongoing Combat Network

Communications Technology (CONECT)improvements provide the bomber withenhanced combat capabilities throughthe incorporation of new colour displays,

computers and communications upgrades.Besides providing the crew with increased

situational awareness, CONECT enhances thebomber’s ability to conduct close air support(CAS) missions. The integrated suite supportsmission retasking and weapons retargeting forthe AGM-86C/D Conventional Air LaunchedCruise Missile (CALCM), AGM-158A Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and AGM-158B JASSM-Extended Range (JASSM-ER).CONECT development began in March 2005,

and flight test was completed at Edwards inDecember 2011. The first operational B-52H toreceive the upgrade was delivered to Barksdale inApril 2014 and full rate production was approvedin January 2015. The upgrade will be completedby 2017 at a cost of around US$1.1bn.Smaller projects have replaced the aircraft’s

AN/APX-64 identification friend or foe (IFF) sys-tem with the newer AN/APX-119 as one of sev-eral Communication Navigation Surveillance/

Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) capabilitiesthat will enable the aircraft to operate safelyin controlled airspace. Additionally, the AN/ALR-46 digital warning receiver and ALQ-155self-protection systems have recently beenupgraded in order to counter emerging threats.The bomber has a weapons load of more than

70,000lb (31,751kg) and is capable of carryingthe most diverse range of nuclear and conven-tional weapons of any combat aircraft in theinventory. For its nuclear mission, the B-52Hcan carry up to 20 AGM-86B Air-LaunchedCruise Missiles (ALCMs) equipped with W80warheads. Six ALCMs can be mounted on eachof its wing pylons, plus eight in the bomb bayon the Common Strategic Rotary Launcher(CSRL), which can tote up to eight B61-7or B83 nuclear bombs as an alternative.For conventional missions, the BUFF employs

a range of munitions carried internally andexternally. Boeing is improving the B-52’s

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Above: A USAF B-52 flies with Swedish Air Force Gripens during Baltic Operations in 2015. BALTOPS is anannual multinational exercise designed to enhance the flexibility and interoperability, as well as demonstrateresolve among allied and partner forces in defending the Baltic region. US Navy Left: A line of B-52s from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, parked on the ramp at Ellsworth AFB, SouthDakota. The Stratofortresses were temporarily deployed to the base while Minot’s runway was undergoingrepairs. Jim ‘Hazy’ Haseltine

Above: A USAF weapons crew is instructed on how to prepare an AGM-158 Joint-Air-to-Surface Standoff Mis-

sile (JASSM) before loading it on to the bomber in the background. Jim ‘Hazy’ Haseltine



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ability to deliver conventional precision-guidedmunitions (PGMs) as part of the AdvancedWeapons Integration (AWI) and InternalWeapons Bay Upgrade (IWBU) projects.It recently delivered six upgraded Conventional

Rotary Launchers (CRLs) that enable theaircraft to carry up to eight GPS-guided ‘smart’weapons internally, providing a 60% increasein smart weapons payload, since these couldpreviously be carried only externally. TheCRL incorporates a new integrated weaponsinterface unit (IWIU) on CSRLs that are excessto nuclear requirements. Once equippedwith the IWIU, the launchers are no longercapable of deploying nuclear weapons.Initially providing the capability to carry eight

Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) or GBU-54 Laser JDAMs (LJDAMs), CRL compatibilitywill be extended to the JASSM and JASSM-ER,ADM-160 Miniature Air Launched Decoy(MALD) and MALD Jammer (MALD-J). Boeinginitially modified three prototypes and willdeliver 38 production units by October 2017.Different wing pylon configurations suit a wide

range of ordnance, including up to 16 CBU-103,CBU-104 or CBU-105 Wind-Corrected MunitionsDispensers (WCMDs), 12 AGM-154 JointStand-Off Weapons (JSOWs), JDAMs or JASSMs.As required by New START, the capability to

deliver nuclear weapons from 30 operational

aircraft and 12 B-52Hs stored with the 309thAerospace Maintenance and RegenerationGroup at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. Thefirst conversion, an aircraft operated bythe AFRC’s 307th BW, was completed atBarksdale in August 2015. The conversionprogramme will conclude by early 2017.The B-52H first received an autonomous

targeting pod capability in 2003 when AN/AAQ-28 Litening II pods were installed on twoaircraft operated by the AFRC’s 93rd BombSquadron (BS) at Barksdale. The pod wasfirst used operationally to deliver laser-guidedmunitions against targets in northern Iraq onApril 11, 2003. The project’s success resulted

in the decision to integrate the AN/AAQ-33Sniper advanced targeting pod (ATP) as well,in a process that began in September 2008.The B-52H is now compatible with both pods.Numerous attempts have been made to

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GLOBAL STRIKE AMERICA'S NUCLEAR BOMBER FORCE

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Above: Flying in the conventional strategic bomber role, a B-52H of the 96th Bomb Squadron, 2nd BombWing from Barksdale AFB, takes off from Nellis AFB, Nevada, during Red Flag 16-2. Nate Leong Below: A B-1 from Dyess AFB, Texas, sweeps its wings back and manoeuvres onto its attack heading overthe range as it prepares to release a pair of GBU-31s. Jim ‘Hazy ’ Hasel tine



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re-engine the B-52H and in 2015 the USAFagain solicited information from potentialcontractors regarding a replacement for thebomber’s eight Pratt & Whitney TF33 turbofans.Studies have shown that new engines couldreduce the bomber’s fuel consumption by

around 35%, increase its range and reduce therequirements for tanker support. The aircraftcould also operate at higher altitudes, andmaintainability and reliability would improve.A planned radar modernisation programme

(RMP) will replace the bomber’s mechanicallysteered AN/APQ-166. According to Maj GenRichard M Clark, Commander Eighth Air Force,the new radar and more modern, fuel-efficientengines are essential to maintaining the B-52’scontinued combat capability through 2040.

BonesDeveloped as the Advanced Manned StrategicAircraft (AMSA), the B-1A programme

was cancelled in June 1977 after fourprototypes had been built. The aircraft wasresurrected as the B-1B, or ‘Bone’, develop-ment of which began in October 1981; theinitial aircraft flew in October 1984.Rockwell International, which later became

part of the Boeing Company, delivered thefirst B-1B Lancer to Dyess in June 1985and the new bomber carried out its firstoperational flight on July 14, 1985. The lastof 100 B-1Bs was delivered on May 2, 1988and on June 1, 1992 the fleet was reassignedfrom SAC to the newly created ACC.The long-range strategic bomber’s capability

to deliver nuclear weapons was removed in late1997. Its ability to carry conventional weaponswas upgraded under the Conventional MissionUpgrade Program (CMUP), which initially madeit compatible with 500lb Mk 82 GP bombs.Additional weapons, including PGMs, wereadded through a series of block upgrades.These have enabled it to deliver the

GBU-54 LJDAM and JASSM-ER. TheB-1B is currently supporting testing of theAGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile(LRASM), which will be fielded in 2018.With an average age of 32 years, the

versatile B-1B carries the largest payload ofguided and unguided conventional weapons


Above: The latest version the Sniper targeting pod, the Sniper SE is attached to a B-1B of the 337th Test

and Evaluation Squadron at Dyess AFB. This is part of the Sniper Sensor Enhancement package part of the ATP-SE programme, which is intended to provide the USAF with a modern targeting system for its aircraft. Jim ‘Hazy’ HaseltineLeft: Two B-52s assigned to the AFGSC taxi while three others take off from Minot AFB, North Dakota, onNovember 8, 2015 during Exercise Global Thunder 16. Global Thunder is an annual US Strategic Commandtraining event that assesses command and control functionality in all USSTRATCOM mission areas. USAF

Above: An airman from the 304th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit directs B-1 'Rage' to the runwayat Al Udeid AB, Qatar. Lancers once again found themselves on the front line flying bombing missions over

Iraq striking Daesh facilities such as command and control sites and training compounds. Qatar became arotating detachment for B-1s until January 2016. USAFBelow: A B-1B pilot from the 28th Bombardment Squadron flies a low-level training mission over western Texas.Unusually for an aircraft of its size the B-1 is equipped with a ‘fighter style’ control column. Boeing modified the‘front office’ so a laptop computer could be connected to show a moving map display. Jim ‘Hazy’ Haseltine



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of any aircraft in the USAF inventory – it iscapable of hauling a 75,000lb (34,019kg)load a distance of 7,455 miles (11,998km)with AAR. Weapons are carried on CRLsin three weapons bays and on EnhancedConventional Bomb Modules (ECBMs).Crews on the B-1B first saw combat during

Operation Desert Fox in 1998. They returnedto action during Allied Force in 1999 andthe fleet has been engaged in continuouscombat since 2001. The 7th and 28th BWshave flown more than 14,000 operationalmissions in support of Enduring Freedom, IraqiFreedom and, more recently, Odyssey Dawn,Freedom’s Sentinel and Inherent Resolve.In January 2016, B-1Bs from Ellsworth AFB,

South Dakota, completed a six-month rotationto Al Udeid AB, Qatar, marking the end of almost

14 years’ continuous bomber rotations in sup-port of CENTCOM. The B-1B’s departure fromthe theatre is temporary, but was necessitatedto support fleet-wide upgrades. During theirassignment to the 379th Air ExpeditionaryWing, Ellsworth’s 37th Expeditionary BombSquadron flew approximately 490 sortiesand delivered more than 4,850 munitionsagainst targets in Syria and Iraq.Among modifications made to the bomber,

one enabled it to carry the Sniper XR target-ing pod. The first pods were installed inresponse to a July 2006 US Air Forces CentralCommand (AFCENT) Urgent Need Requestto install the ATP on the B-1B. In addition tolaser-guided bomb (LGB) employment, theinstallation enables Remotely Operated VideoEnhancement Receiver (ROVER) video downlinkand expanded the bomber’s non-traditionalintelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance(ISR) capability. The ATP was first employed

in combat over Afghanistan in August 2008.The fleet is currently receiving additional capa-

bilities as part of the largest modification packageso far developed for the Bone. The IntegratedBattle Station (IBS) and Sustainment-Block 16(SB-16) combine three separate upgrades that

provide the Lancer with a Fully Integrated DataLink (FIDL) enabling line-of-sight and beyondline-of-sight command and control (C2) con-nectivity, new computers and five multi-functiondisplays at the aft crew stations. In addition,the Vertical Situation Display Upgrade (VSDU)replaces the pilot and co-pilot primary flight dis-plays and flight instruments with two new colourdisplays. The SB-16A software enhances opera-tion of the glass cockpit, systems and sensors.The first operational B-1B upgraded with the

IBS modifications arrived at Dyess in January2014 and modifications on the 15th aircraftwere completed in December 2015, enablingthe upgraded bomber to achieve IOC. Fleet

upgrades should be completed by 2019 andIBS-equipped aircraft ready to fill combatdeployment commitments this summer.Another project will replace the B-1B’s AN/

APQ-164 radar with a new active electroni-cally scanned array (AESA) system based onthe Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83. TheScalable Agile Beam Radar-Global Strike(SABR-GS) will be installed from 2016. It willprovide the bomber with advanced operationalcapabilities including the ability to producelarge synthetic aperture radar (SAR) maps,advanced image processing and sensor



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Above: A pair of B-1 bombers, one from the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES) at Barksdale AFB andthe other from the 337th TES at Dyess AFB fly formation during a training sortie over New Mexico.Below: A weapons crew at Dyess AFB, Texas, prepare to load a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)onto a B-1. The Lancer can carry the largest payload of guided and unguided conventional weapons of anyaircraft in the USAF inventory. Both images Jim ‘Hazy’ Haseltine

Fourteen B-1s line the

ramp at Ellsworth AFB,South Dakota. Lancercrews first saw combatduring Operation DesertFox in 1998. Since thenthe B-1s have deployedoverseas to supportOperation Enduring Free- dom, Iraqi Freedom andrecently Odyssey Dawn,Freedom’s Sentinel andInherent Resolve. Jim ‘Hazy’ Hasel tine



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assembly units that enabled the carriage ofcluster munitions, aerial mines and othersmaller stores. Additionally, the aircraft’s AN/APQ-181 radar included a ground moving-target indication (GMTI) mode and terrainfollowing/terrain avoidance (TF/TA) capabilities.All of the earlier aircraft were eventually

brought up to Block 30 configuration and thefinal upgraded aircraft was delivered in July2000. The B-2A achieved full operational capa-bility on December 17, 2003. Since enteringservice, the fleet has received many upgrades,including the B-2 Radar ModernizationProgram (RMP), completed in September 2012.Ongoing major upgrades are incorporating

a new satellite communications system, newcomputers and additional weapons capabili-ties, as well as upgrades to the DMS. Indeed,DMS Modernization (DMS-M) is the numberone priority B-2 modification programme.It upgrades the electronic support measures,

passive antennas and computers that comprisethe bomber’s electronic warfare system,and improves the jet’s ability to penetrateand survive in A2/AD environments. Flighttest of DMS-M is planned for 2017 andthe system will enter service by 2021.A Flexible Strike software upgrade will

provide the capability to carry mixed weaponloads including a Rotary Launcher Assembly

(RLA) in one weapons bay and a SmartBomb Rack Assembly (SBRA) in the other.It will also permit full integration of B61-12Life Extension Program (LEP) upgrades.A host of smaller upgrades will improve safety,

reliability, communications, survivability and

maintainability, and is intended to ensurethat the Spirit, which now has an average ageof 27 years, remains viable until it reachesthe end of its projected service life in 2058.Entering combat over Kosovo on March

24, 1999, the B-2A was the first aircraftto penetrate Serbian air defences on theopening night of Operation Allied Force. Over35 days, six B-2As flew 47 combat sortiesfrom Whiteman, each averaging 31 hours inlength. Although they were responsible for less

than 1% of the total sorties flown, the B-2Asdelivered 656 weapons, totalling 1.3 millionlb (600,556kg) and destroyed 11% of thefixed targets engaged in Serbia and Kosovo.Following the 9/11 terror attacks, B-2As were

the first aircraft to attack targets in Afghanistan

during the initial days of Operation EnduringFreedom. Between October 6 and 11, 2001,six missions, each in excess of 44 hours, wereflown from Whiteman and crews delivered64 weapons against targets in Afghanistanbefore recovering at Naval Support FacilityDiego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory.Engine-running crew changes (ERCCs) wereconducted several times, a second crew operat-ing the 29-hour return flight to Whiteman.In addition to its nuclear deterrence

mission, the B-2A’s intercontinentalrange and LO profile enable it to conductnuclear response, global strike andglobal precision-attack missions. It has anunrefuelled range in the region of 6,000nm(11,112km) and can fly up to 10,000nm

Crew chiefs at Andersen AFB, Guam, wait forinstructions from the cockpit as they prepare tolaunch a B-2. Three of the bombers along with 225airmen from Whiteman AFB deployed to Guam on

August 2015 to conduct familiarisation training atthe Pacific base. USAF



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Above: Airman assigned to the 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron conclude their final inspections on twoB-2s prior to take off from Whiteman AFB on February 2, 2016. The B-2s, along with more than 130 otheraircraft were taking part in the three-week exercise Red Flag 16-1 at Nellis AFB, Nevada. USAF Below: A B-2A ‘Spirit of Georgia’ flies over Whiteman AFB on November 8, 2015 during an exercise. The509th Bomb Wing runs a pilot exchange with the RAF, with former Tornado pilots being among those thathave qualified as B-2 instructors. USAF



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(18,520km) with a single aerial refuelling.Each of the B-2A’s two side-by-side weapon

bays is capable of carrying up to 30,000lb(13,608kg) of ordnance on eight-roundRLAs. Alternatively, four SBRAs enable it toengage as many as 80 separate targets. Forconventional missions the Spirit can carry16 GBU-31 JDAMs; 80 GBU-38 JDAMs; 36CBU-87/89/97 cluster bombs; 16 AGM-154 JSOWs or AGM-158 JASSMs; eight GBU-28,GBU-37 or EGBU-28 5,000lb penetratorbombs; or a pair of 30,000lb GBU-57Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs). TheGBU-57 can destroy hardened, deeply buriedtargets and is a unique B-2A capability.For the nuclear mission, up to 16 B61

or B83 free-fall bombs can be carried.Future weapons integration efforts will add the

precision-guided B61-12, advanced versions ofthe GBU-28E/B and GBU-28B/D ‘bunker bust-ers’, JASSM and JASSM-ER, a 5,000lb versionof JDAM, 2,000lb GBU-56 LJDAM, GBU-53/BSmall Diameter Bomb II and the plannedLong Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile.The 20-aircraft B-2A fleet is assigned to

two operational squadrons within the 509thBW at Whiteman, while another squadronis tasked as the FTU. Only 16 B-2As aremaintained as combat ready aircraft at anygiven time. Co-located at Whiteman, the

Missouri ANG’s 131st BW shares responsibil-ity for operating and maintaining the B-2Asunder a classic reserve association.The two wings completed the first Total

Force Integration (TFI) combat mission aspart of Operation Odyssey Dawn over Libya

on March 21, 2011. Three B-2s delivered 45 JDAMs against hardened aircraft shelters onan air base near Sirte, during an 11,418 mile(18,375km) round-trip mission from Whiteman.Since entering service the B-2A fleet

has flown around 120,000 hours, includ-ing more than 3,000 in combat overKosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.In August 2012, AFGSC announced that

B-2As would begin regular worldwide trainingdeployments. The most recent demonstra-tion of this commitment occurred fromAugust 7 to 28, 2015, when three B-2Asdeployed to Andersen AFB, Guam. Morethan 25 sorties were generated, includinga mission that launched three bombers forparticipation in the Red Flag-Alaska exercise.

Long Range Strike-BomberA new manned bomber is among the USAF’stop three acquisition programmes. It plans toreplace the B-52H and B-1B fleets with between80 and 100 Long Range Strike-Bomber(LRS-B) aircraft, now designated the B-21,at a cost of around US$80bn. The B-21 willbe an integral element in the USAF’s futureLong Range Strike Family of Systems. It is

expected to employ stealth capabilities, carrya large payload and be capable of conductingconventional and nuclear deterrent missions.The programme is currently classified as

secret, but several details were revealed inadvance of selection of the winning design.

The bomber will be manned, but unmannedoperation is considered an option thatcould be implemented after initial operatingcapability (IOC) is achieved in 2025. It willinitially carry conventional weapons, but nuclearcapability will follow around two years afterIOC. Although the bomber’s major subsystemshave been selected, no details regarding theaircraft’s systems have been revealed.The USAF received proposals from Northrop

Grumman and a team comprising Boeing andLockheed Martin. On October 27, 2015 the for-mer was selected as winner. Boeing protestedthe award with the Government AccountabilityOffice (GAO) on November 6, 2015 and theUSAF issued a ‘stop-work’ order to NorthropGrumman the same day. Following its review,on February 16, 2016 the GAO issued a rulingdenying the Boeing/Lockheed Martin protestand reaffirming the USAF decision. It paved theway for Northrop Grumman to resume work.The B-21 project includes a cost-reimbursable

engineering and manufacturing development(EMD) phase that provides cost and performanceincentives for Northrop Grumman. The EMDphase will cost around US$23.5bn in 2016.The first five production lots, totalling 21 aircraft,

will be purchased under a fixed-price incentivecontract. Planned production includes up to 100bombers and, based on that total, the averageprocurement unit cost per aircraft is requiredto be equal to or less than US$550m in 2010dollars, or around US$606m in 2016 dollars.

Above: With a fleet wide upgrading under way, the possibility of new engines and the installation of a newradar, to replace the B-52’s mechanically steered AN/APQ-166 unit, the ‘BUFF’ has an operational futurewith the USAF until at least 2040. Jim ‘Hazy’ Hasel tine


The B-1B is powered by four afterburning General Electric F101-GE-102s installed in twin-engine pods under the wing roots. Jim ‘Hazy’ Hasel tine



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Between Fiscal Years (FYs) 2011 and 2015, theUSAF spent US$1.9bn on risk reduction effortsthat enabled the two competitors to completeinitial designs. Over the next five years it plansto spend approximately US$12.1bn in LRS-Bresearch, development, test and evaluation funds.

Twin HueysAir Force Global Strike Command serves asthe lead command for the USAF’s fleet of 62Bell UH-1N Iroquois, or ‘Twin Hueys’. Threesquadrons operate 25 Twin Hueys that flewmore than 3,800 sorties during FY2015.The helicopters are primarily tasked to provide

rapid, flexible security force airlift, supportsecurity surveillance of off-base movementsof nuclear weapons convoys, missile fieldsand test range areas, provide transportationsupport to missile crews and missile mainte-nance personnel and a SAR capability. Theyprimarily operate over the command’s ICBMmissile fields, located in Colorado, Montana,

Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming.Although the UH-1Ns are more than 45 years

old, the service plans to fly them until themid-2020s and recent upgrades have includedsafety improvements that installed crashworthyaircrew seats and night-vision-goggle-compat-ible cockpits. Additionally, helicopter terrainavoidance and warning, and traffic collisionavoidance systems are being incorporated toimprove situational awareness and survivability.Because the UH-1N no longer meets surviv-

ability, carrying capacity, endurance, or speedrequirements, AFGSC is moving forward withthe acquisition of a follow-on system that willmeet all nuclear security mission requirements.A UH-1N Replacement Program was included

in the USAF’s FY2016 budget submission andefforts to select a replacement are under way.It will be an in-production, non-developmental(NDI), government or commercial off-the-shelf(GOTS/COTS) aircraft. The service is, however,


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Above: A T-38A Talon from the 509th BW’s 394th Combat Training Squadron formats with a B-2 Spirit ofSouth Carolina during a training mission over Whiteman AFB, Missouri. Fourteen Talons serve as companiontrainers for bomber aircrews. USAF Below: The new Northrop Grumman Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) now known as the B-21 will bethe first new bomber for the USAF in the 21st century. The USAF has not provided a public figure for theproduction cost of the first 21 aircraft and the total remains classified. USAF

Above: Convoy escort, security force airlift and surveillance of off-base movements of nuclear convoys arethe primary tasks of the UH-1Ns of AFGSC. Current plans call for their replacement by the mid-2020s withan off-the-shelf existing type that has yet to be decided. Tom Kaminski



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AIR COMBAT COMMAND (ACC) – JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VA

USAF Warfare Center (USAFWC) – Nellis AFB, NV

53rd WG Eglin AFB, FL

53rd TEG Nellis AFB, NV

31st TES (seeNote 1)

Edwards AFB, CA B-1B, B-2A,B-52H

ED

49th TES Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H OT

72nd TES (Note 1) Whiteman AFB, MO B-2A WM

337th TES (Note 1) Dyess AFB, TX B-1B DY

57th WG Nellis AFB, NV

USAFWS Nellis AFB, NV

77th WPS Dyess AFB, TX B-1B WA

325th WPS (Note 1) Whiteman AFB, MO B-2A WM

340th WPS (Note 1) Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H LA

AIR FORCE GLOBAL STRIKE COMMAND (AFGSC) – BARKSDALE AFB,LOUISIANA

Eighth Air Force/Air ForcesStrategic (8AF/AFSTRAT)

Barksdale AFB, LA

2nd BW/OG 11th BS (FTU)(Note 2)

Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H LA

20th BS Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H

96th BS Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H

5th BW/OG 23rd BS Minot AFB, ND B-52H MT

69th BS Minot AFB, ND B-52H

7th BW/OG 9th BS Dyess AFB, TX B-1B DY

28th BS (FTU) Dyess AFB, TX B-1B

28th BW/OG 34th BS Ellsworth AFB, SD B-1B EL

37th BS Ellsworth AFB, SD B-1B

509th BW/OG 13th BS Whiteman AFB, MO B-2A WM

393rd BS Whiteman AFB, MO B-2A394th CTS (FTU)(Note 3)

Whiteman AFB, MO T-38A

Air National Guard (ANG) Units – JB Andrews-NAF Washington, Md.

131st BW/OG 110th BS (Note 4) Whiteman AFB, MO B-2A WM

Tenth Air Force (10AF) – NAS JRB Fort Worth/Carswell Field, TX

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Units - Robins AFB, GA

307th BW/OG 93rd BS (FTU) Barksdale AFB, LA B-52H BD

489th BG 345th BS (Note 5) Dyess AFB, TX B-1B DY

Twentieth Air Force (20AF) – F.E. Warren AFB, WY.

582nd HG 37th HS F.E. Warren AFB, WY UH-1N FE

40th HS Malmstrom AFB, MT UH-1N MM

54th HS Minot AFB, ND UH-1N MT

90th MW/OG 319th MS F.E. Warren AFB, WY LGM-30G

320th MS F.E. Warren AFB, WY LGM-30G

321st MS F.E. Warren AFB, WY LGM-30G

91st MW/OG 740th MS Minot AFB, ND LGM-30G

741st MS Minot AFB, ND LGM-30G

742nd MS Minot AFB, ND LGM-30G341st MW/OG 10th MS Malmstrom AFB, MT LGM-30G

12th MS Malmstrom AFB, MT LGM-30G

490th MS Malmstrom AFB, MT LGM-30G

AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND (AFMC) – WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, O

Air Force Test Center (AFTC) – Edwards AFB, CA

412th TW/OG 419th FLTS Edwards AFB, CA B-52H, B-1B,B-2A,

ED

USAF Sustainment Center (AFSC) Tinker AFB, OK

Oklahoma City Air LogisticsComplex (OC-ALC)

Tinker AFB, OK

76th AMXG 565th AMXS Tinker AFB, OK B-1B, B-52H

Twenty-Second Air Force (22AF) Dobbins ARB, GA

Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC)

Units

Robins AFB, GA

413th FLTG Robins AFB, GA

10th FLTS (Note 6) Tinker AFB, OK (B-1B, B-52H)

Notes: 1. Utilises aircraft borrowed from host 412th TW/OG. 2. Associate squadron operates alongside the 93rd BS in the FTU role. 3. Unit utilises325th/393rd BS B-2As for training. 4. Wing operates B-2A as an associate to the 509th BW. 5. Wing operates B-1B as an associate to the 28th BW. 6. Flighttest crews assigned to conduct functional check flights of modified and overhauled aircraft.

Abbreviations: AAF: Army Air Field. AATC: ANG/AFRC Test Center. AB: Air Base. ACA: Aerospace Control Alert. ACC: Air Combat Command. ADS: AirDemonstration Squadron. AETC: Air Education and Training Command. AFB: Air Force Base. AFNORTH: Air Forces North. AFMC: Air Force Materiel Command.AFRC: Air Force Reserve Command. AFTC: Air Force Test Center. AGRS: Aggressor Squadron. ANG: Air National Guard. ANGB: Air National Guard Base. ANGS:Air National Guard Station. AP: Airport. ARB: Air Reserve Base. ARS: Air Reserve Station. AS: Air Station. ATG: Adversary Tactics Group. AWC: Air Warfare Center.Det.: Detachment. FG: Fighter Group. FS: Fighter Squadron. FW/OG: Fighter Wing. (FTU): Formal Training Unit. IAP: IAP. JARS: Joint Air Reserve Station. JB: JointBase. JNGS: Joint National Guard Station. JRB: Joint Reserve Base. MAP: Municipal Airport. NAF: Naval Air Facility. NAS: Naval Air Station. OG: Operations Group.PACAF: Pacific Air Forces. RAF: Royal Air Force. RAP: Regional Airport. TDY: Temporary Duty. TEG Test & Evaluation Group. TES: Test & Evaluation Squadron.TPS: Test Pilot School. TW: Test Wing. USAF: United States Air Force. USAFE: United States Air Forces Europe. USAFWC: USAF Weapons Center. USAFWS: USAFWeapons School. USCENTCOM: US Central Command. USEUCOM: US European Command. USPACOM: US Pacific Command. USSOUTHCOM: US SouthernCommand. USSPACECOM: US Space Command. USSTRATCOM: US Strategic Command. WEG: Weapons Evaluation Group. WPS: Weapons Squadron

Air Force Global Strike Command – Order of Battle

Wing/Group Squadron Location Aircraft TC Wing/Group Squadron Location Aircraft TC

considering options that include modificationof the existing fleet, a sole-source award fora new aircraft, or an open competition for anew platform. It plans to award a contractduring FY2017 and the new helicopterswill reportedly enter service by 2019.

TalonsTasked as the B-2A FTU, the 509th BW’s 394thCombat Training Squadron is responsiblefor 14 Northrop T-38A Talons that serve ascompanion trainers. The Talons enableB-2 pilots to maintain their qualificationsand basic flying proficiency, airmanshipand real-time decision-making skills at lowcost when compared with the bombers.First fielded in 1961, the T-38A has previously

been used as a companion trainer for B-1Band B-52H crews under SAC’s AcceleratedCopilot Enrichment (ACE) programme and laterACC’s Companion Trainer Program (CTP).


Above: A USAF security patrol arrives back at their home base aboard a UH-1N. The helicopters operate over AFGSC’s ICBM missile fields located in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming. Tom Kaminski



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Continuous Bomber PresenceBomber deployments to Andersen began in2003 and the USAF has provided PACOMwith a Continuous Bomber Presence (CBP)since March 2004. The CBP is a componentof the USAF’s strategic deterrence mission

and contributes to security and stability inPACOM’s area of responsibility (AOR).The rotational deployments typically last

six months and involve six B-52Hs and 300personnel, under the operational control ofthe Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and the 36thWing’s 36th Expeditionary Operations Groupat Andersen. Responsibility for the CBPalternates between the 2nd and 5th BWs.According to AFGSC’s director of operations,

the CBP “…helps maintain stability and securityin the western Pacific, while allowing our units tobecome familiar with operating in the Pacific the-atre and out of a deployed location. It also pro-vides unique training opportunities for the bomb-

er crews when they integrate into PACOM jointor coalition exercises, operations and training.”The deterrent value was demonstrated in

March 2013 when B-52s flew training missionsover South Korea and delivered conventionalweapons on the Pil-sung Range near OsanAir Base. Conducted as part of Exercise FoalEagle 2013, the missions simulated strikes onNorth Korea and demonstrated the US’s com-



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Above: An unarmed AGM-66B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) is released from a B-52H over the UtahTest and Training range during a Nuclear Weapons System Evaluation Program sortie. The launch was partof an end-to-end operational evaluation of the Eighth Air Force and Task Force 204’s ability to pull an ALCMfrom storage, load it aboard an aircraft and execute a simulated combat mission successfully. USAF Right: As the sun sets over Ellsworth AFB, maintenance personnel prepare a B-1 for its next mission. Withan estimated cost of US$57,807 per flight hour, the USAF is keen to maintain the airframes in Code Onecondition. Some of the Lancers are more than 32 years old. Jim ‘Hazy’ HaseltineBelow: With its landing gear beginning to cycle up into the undercarriage bays, B-52H 61-0019 from the96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron departs Andersen AFB, Guam, for the long flight home to Barksdale

AFB, Louisiana, after a six-month deployment to the Pacific island. The Continuous Bomber Presence in theregion will quickly see new crews and bombers filling the gap. Jim ‘Hazy’ Haseltine



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mitment to defend its ally amid rising tensionswith the communists over the development

of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.More recently, on January 10, 2016, a

B-52H assigned to the 23rd EBS conducteda low-level flight over South Korea as a showof force after North Korea detonated anuclear weapon in an underground test.The B-1B and B-2A have conducted only

limited deployments to Andersen since theCBP mission began. The Spirit’s most recent

deployment occurred in 2014 when threebombers arrived at Andersen. Although it

regularly supports PACOM exercises in theAOR, AFGSC currently has no plans to integratethe Spirit, or B-1B, into the CBP rotation.Nonetheless, AFGSC recently established a

permanent party presence at Andersen thatincludes 34 operations and maintenancepersonnel; a stipulation in the NationalDefense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2016requires the Secretary of the Air Force to “…

review the feasibility of, and requirement for,establishing a permanent bomber presence

on Guam”. The findings of this review couldresult in further expansion of the CBP orpermanent basing for bombers in the Pacific.The US recently reached a general agreement

with Australia on a ‘force posture initiative’ thatwill include the rotation of bomber and tankeraircraft through RAAF Tindal, in Australia’sNorthern Territory. No details regarding thetypes or timeline have been made available.

Nuclear WeaponsSince the retirement of the AGM-129 AdvancedCruise Missile (ACM) in 2012, the AGM-86Bhas been the USAF’s only nuclear-capablecruise missile; around 560 remain in service.Equipped with a variable-yield (5-150kts)W80 thermonuclear warhead, the ALCM isexpected to remain operational through 2030.The LRSO missile will replace ALCM as an inte-

gral part of the stand-off nuclear deterrent capabil-ity and will provide a credible deterrent with theability to strike at targets from beyond contestedairspace in A2/AD environments. The missile willbe compatible with the B-52H, B-2A and LRS-B. Aconventional version of the missile is also planned.The current inventory of around 475 gravity

nuclear weapons includes the B83 and fivevariants of the B61. The 2,400lb B83, whichcan be carried by the B-52H and the B-2A, has amaximum yield of 1.2Mt and is the most power-ful free-fall nuclear weapon in the US arsenal.

The 700lb B61 is a variable-yield (0.3 to 340kt)thermonuclear bomb. The current stockpile ofB61-3, -4, -7 and -10 weapons will be consoli-dated into a single configuration under the B61-12 LEP. The revised weapon will be capable ofoperating in analog/ballistic and digital/guidedmodes. Its guidance system, which includes aTail Kit Assembly (TKA) developed by Boeingunder a contract with the Air Force NuclearWeapons Center, will greatly improve accuracy.The B61-12 LEP has entered the engineering

and manufacturing development phase andthe last of three development test flights tookplace over the Tonopah Test Range around130 miles (209km) northwest of Las Vegas,Nevada, in October 2015. It will become theprimary tactical nuclear weapon for US andNATO aircraft when it enters service in 2019.It will not replace the 1,200lb penetratingB61-11 bunker-busting variant, however,which is primarily carried by the B-2A.

Above: Airmen from the 509th Maintenance Squadron work on a B-2 bomber during a deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam, in August 2014. To support the threeB-2s more than 200 personnel deployed from Whiteman AFB to ensure bombers were ‘combat ready’ while in theatre. USAF Left: A KC-135 refuels a B-2 Spirit over the Pacific Ocean on November 20, 2014. Three B-2s deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, to support the US PacificCommand’s Continuous Bomber Presence in the region. The bombers conducted theatre security package operations in the area, but the AFGSC has no plans toinclude B-2s into the CBP rotation. USAF

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