Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Air Force’s bomber fleet, comprising aging platforms like the B-52, B-1B, and B-2, is set for a significant upgrade with the introduction of the stealthy B-21 Raider.
-However, despite advanced stealth capabilities and improved survivability, the Raider may carry fewer munitions and have shorter range compared to its predecessor.
-This range limitation highlights a critical vulnerability: the Air Force’s tanker fleet.
-Many tankers are modified civilian aircraft vulnerable in contested airspace, potentially limiting the operational effectiveness of bombers.
-Addressing tanker survivability and capacity is crucial for maintaining American strategic advantage in future high-intensity conflicts against peer rivals.
Why the U.S. Air Force’s Tanker Fleet Could Be Its Biggest Weakness
Compared to other classes of aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, its bomber fleet is relatively small, numbering around 150 bombers in total. But the question of whether or not this constitutes a shortage hinges on several factors, not on numbers alone.
While the Air Force operates some of the most advanced—as well as some of the oldest—bombers in the world today, there is a potential pinch point: the force’s tanker fleet.
Here’s the American bomber fleet as it stands today.
The United States Air Force Bomber Fleet Today
The Air Force operates several different bomber platforms: The B-52 Stratofortress, the B-1B Lancer, and the B-2 Spirit. A fourth platform, the B-21 Raider, is on its way.
Remarkably, the B-52 bomber is one of the oldest aircraft in the world that is still in service. Originally designed in the aftermath of the Second World War, it has been upgraded and re-engined throughout the years. Pratt & Whitney, the aerospace firm behind a number of successful engine designs, recently won a contract from the Pentagon to provide the B-52 fleet with new engines in order to give the aircraft better fuel economy and performance.
The B-1B Lancer bomber was originally designed to penetrate Soviet radar defenses while carrying out nuclear strikes against high-value targets across that country. In order to achieve this mission, Lancers would fly at supersonic speeds low to the ground, out of sight of radar installations. However, developmental problems with the program ultimately limited their sprint speed. Arms control agreements with the Soviet Union also did away with the Lancer’s nuclear payload delivery.
No other aircraft was as impressive upon its debut as the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Based on a highly efficient and stealthy flying-wing design, the Spirit incorporates advanced stealth coatings and fuselage contouring to diminish its radar cross-section and disappear from enemy radar.
Though the aircraft is unparalleled by any other bomber flying right now, it is a product of technology from the 1980s and has since grown long in the tooth.
The fleet itself is quite small: Thanks to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and subsequent drawdowns of defense budgets, the U.S. Air Force operates a paltry 19 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.
Now a new bomber is on its way: the B-21 Raider.
Modernization
Outwardly very similar to the B-2 Spirit bomber it is set to replace, the B-21 is also based on a flying-wing design. Named after the Doolittle Raid of World War II, the Raider is touted by the Air Force as the world’s first sixth-generation bomber aircraft. And while the details on the bomber are, of course, not publicly known, advanced stealth coatings and other measures taken to reduce their radar cross-section are thought to make the jets extremely stealthy.
This high degree of stealth translates into a much more survivable platform, able to excel even in highly contested environments. One potential shortfall to the program is the bomber’s payload capacity, which is reduced when compared to the larger B-2 Spirit.
Surprisingly, the Raider’s range is likely less than that of the B-2 as well. At first blush, this may not be much of a concern, given the fact that the Air Force operates the largest air-to-air tanker fleet in the world.
However, given that the U.S. Air Force would like to acquire the bombers in higher numbers (at least 100 B-21s, compared to the 19 B-2s the Air Force currently flies), the tanker fleet could be significantly strained in the event of a conflict.
Further complicating matters is the fact that much of the current tanker fleet is based on civilian passenger planes—designs modified to meet Air Force requirements. In a high-end conflict against a peer rival in highly contested airspace, those aircraft would struggle to survive and remain viable, making them a potentially painful pinch point.
What Happens Now to the U.S. Air Force?
Though the current number of bombers available to the U.S. Air Force may seem small and insufficient, the incoming B-21 Raider bombers can change the calculus.
Turning away from a bomber fleet defined by early Cold War-era strategic bombers, late Cold War-era long-range sprinters, and stealth aircraft, to a fleet that is mostly highly stealthy, would strengthen the Air Force.
That being said, one of the potential weak points of the U.S. bomber fleet is not the bombers themselves. Instead, the Air Force’s ability to keep those aircraft airborne thanks to a broad, robust, survivable tanker fleet is a pressing question, and one that the Air Force could be forced to address in the near future.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
