B-21 US Air Force bombers: long-range precision strike

摘要

The US Air Force's 157 operational bombers - 75 Boeing B-52H Stratofortesses, 62 Rockwell B-1B Lancers and 20 Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirits - equip five bomb wings. A new stealth bomber, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, is to enter service in the mid-2020s. All 157 bombers belong to the Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force. General Timothy Ray, its new commander, said Global Strike Command is America's force provider of "long-range precision strike, both nuclear and conventional." General Ray is responsible for equipping and training bombers that will be put under operational command of US Strategic Command (for nuclear deterrence and operations) and five regional combatant commands (for conventional missions) as an "enduring signature of strength and power around the world", or, if called upon, in combat. America's national defence strategy now prioritises readiness against great power competitors. To implement this, bombers have to be able to carry out missions during which they will be opposed by sophisticated air defences. General Robin Rand, former GSC commander, told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in Washington on March 22, 2018, that in peace time: "Bombers provide decision-makers the ability to demonstrate resolve through generation, dispersal and deployment."