	Introduction

The central issue addressed by this report is how much Congress should consider appropriating for the continued sustainment and modernization of the B-52, B-1, and B-2 bombers over the remainder of their service lives. The B-52H Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer, and B-2A Spirit are now about 50, 28, and 20 years old respectively. Although the Department of Defense and the Air Force are committed to the development and fielding of a new Long-Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B), flight-testing of the new bomber will likely not start until the mid-2020s. With this in mind, can the U.S. Air Force's B-52Hs, B-1Bs, and B-2As physically last and continue to be credible weapon systems until the LRS-B is fielded? The average age of the bomber force is 33. This report addresses potential congressional oversight and appropriations concerns for the sustainment and modernization of the U.S. Air Force's bomber force. Congressional interest in this subject stems from Congress's authority to approve, reject, or modify Air Force funding requests for bomber sustainment and modernization, as well as their oversight of the nation's long-range strike requirements and capabilities. In addition, sustainment, modernization, and size of the bomber force have been perennial legislative topics since the early 1990s. As the Air Force progresses through development and acquisition of the LRS-B and begins the gradual phase-out of 50-year-old bombers, it is anticipated that Congress will continue dealing with bomber sustainment and modernization legislation. Congress's decisions on appropriations for the bomber force could impact the nation's long-range strike capabilities and have additional consequences for the U.S. aerospace industry. Background

		United States' Military Strategy Shift: Do the Bombers' Capabilities Meet Strategic Requirements? The Obama Administration's 2012 shift in national security and defense strategy towards the Asia-Pacific region has significant implications for America's legacy bomber force. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21 st Century Defense . All three of the nation's bombers have made, and are expected to continue making, significant contributions to all of the critical missions set forth in DOD's strategic guidance. Anti-access refers to those adversary actions and capabilities, usually employed from long ranges, designed to prevent an opposing force entry to an operational area by restricting its access to the global commons (sea, air, space, and cyberspace). Existing U.S. Bomber Force

The Air Force's existing bomber fleet includes 76 B-52H bombers, 63 supersonic B-1B bombers, and 20 B-2 stealth bombers. Additional information on the existing bomber force is presented in Appendix A .

		B-52H Stratofortress42

The B-52 is currently the USAF's only nuclear bomber capable of employing long-range standoff weapons. The B-52H first entered service on May 9, 1961, with operational aircraft currently stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and Minot AFB, North Dakota. It serves as both a conventional and nuclear bomber. It achieved initial operational capability (IOC) in April 1997 and achieved full operational capability (FOC) on December 17, 2003. Issues for Congress

		Potential for Inducing a Shortfall in Long-Range Strike Capabilities

As the bomber force continues to age and shrink, and development of the LRS-B continues, a potential oversight issue for Congress is whether failure to sustain and modernize the Air Force's legacy bomber fleet will induce a shortfall in the nation's long-range strike capabilities. The ability of the current bomber force to bridge a potential long-range strike capabilities gap may depend upon the feasibility and cost effectiveness of sustainment and modernization programs that will make these weapon systems viable in the 21 st century A2/AD environment while extending their service lives until the LRS-B becomes operational in the late 2020s. At the same time, the DOD's priorities require continued modernization of aging capabilities to address the proliferation of modern A2/AD threats in that the DOD and Air Force plan on the B-52, B-,1 and B-2 to operate well into the 2030s, especially in the global strike and nuclear deterrent roles. As Legacy Bombers Phase Out, Are 80-100 LRS-Bs Sufficient? Another oversight issue for Congress will be whether development of the LRS-B can be further delayed given sufficient levels of funding for legacy bomber sustainment and modernization. As potential adversaries acquire better and advanced A2/AD defenses, the legacy bombers' ability to get close enough to targets to employ weapons will likely continue to deteriorate. Potential Implications of Bomber Modernization on Air Force Basing and any Future Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC)

Another potential oversight issue is the potential implications of reduced bomber sustainment and modernization, and subsequent diminishing numbers of airframes, on any future rounds of base realignment and closure (BRAC) efforts. Industrial Base Concerns Associated with Bomber Sustainment

Another oversight issue is the ability of the nation's industrial base to sustain the legacy bomber force. 112-81 sought to clarify the Air Force's plan by restricting FY2012 funds for the retirement of any B-1 aircraft until the Secretary of the Air Force submitted a plan to congressional defense committees detailing the following:
Identification of each B–1 bomber aircraft that will be retired and the disposition plan for such aircraft; an estimate of the savings that will result from the proposed retirement of B–1 bomber aircraft in each calendar year through calendar year 2022; an estimate of the amount of the savings that will be reinvested in the modernization of B–1 bomber aircraft still in service in each calendar year through calendar year 2022; a modernization plan for sustaining the remaining B–1 bomber aircraft through at least calendar year 2022; and, an estimate of the amount of funding required to fully fund the modernization plan for each calendar year through calendar year 2022. (a) AIR FORCE REPORT.—
(1) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes—
(A) a discussion of the cost, schedule, and performance of all planned efforts to modernize and keep viable the existing B–1, B–2, and B–52 bomber fleets and a discussion of the forecasted service-life and all sustainment challenges that the Secretary of the Air Force may confront in keeping those platforms viable until the anticipated retirement of such aircraft;
(B) a discussion, presented in a comparison and contrast type format, of the scope of the 2007 Next-Generation Long Range Strike Analysis of Alternatives guidance and subsequent Analysis of Alternatives report tasked by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics in the September 11, 2006, Acquisition Decision Memorandum, as compared to the scope and directed guidance of the year 2010 Long Range Strike Study effort currently being conducted by the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Office; and
(C) a discussion of the preliminary costs, any development, testing, fielding and operational employment challenges, capability gaps, limitations, and shortfalls of the Secretary of Defense's plan to field a long-range, penetrating, survivable, persistent and enduring ''family of systems'' as compared to the preliminary costs, any development, testing, fielding, and operational employment of a singular platform that encompasses all the required aforementioned characteristics.
The United States' existing long-range bomber fleet of B-52s, B-1s, and B-2s are at a critical point in their operational life span. With the average age of each airframe being 50, 28, and 20 years old, respectively, military analysts are beginning to question just how long these aircraft can physically last and continue to be credible weapon systems. As potential adversaries acquire 21st century defense systems designed to prevent U.S. access to the global commons (sea, air, space, and cyberspace) and to limit U.S. forces' freedom of action within an operational area, the ability of these Cold War era bombers to get close enough to targets to be effective will continue to deteriorate. Although the Air Force is committed to the development and acquisition of its proposed Long-Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B), it is anticipated that flight-testing of the new bomber will not start until the mid-2020s, with initial operational capability near 2030. With this timeline in mind, the Air Force has extended the operational lives of the B-52 and B-1 out to 2040 and the B-2 out to 2058. Air Force and aerospace industry experts insist that with sufficient funding for sustainment and modernization over their expected lifespans, all three of the existing bombers can physically last and continue to remain credible weapon systems. However, appropriations decisions made by Congress based on required military capabilities to meet national security objectives will ultimately determine how long the B-52, B-1, and B-2 will remain in service.
The central issue for Congress is how much funding should be appropriated for the continued sustainment and modernization of the B-52, B-1, and B-2 bombers over the remainder of their service lives. Interest in this subject stems from Congress's authority to approve, reject, or modify Air Force funding requests for bomber sustainment and modernization as well as its oversight of the nation's long-range strike requirements and capabilities. In addition, sustainment, modernization, and size of the bomber force have been perennial legislative topics since the early 1990s. As the Air Force progresses through development and acquisition of the LRS-B and begins the gradual phase-out of 50-year-old bombers, it is anticipated Congress will continue dealing with bomber sustainment and modernization legislation. Congress's decisions on appropriations for the bomber force could affect the nation's long-range strike capabilities and have unintended consequences on U.S. national security as well as the U.S. aerospace industry.
The context through which Congress will make these decisions includes U.S. national security and defense strategies and the expectation of the role the B-52, B-1, and B-2 will play in executing those strategies. Some of the many global and strategic variables that could become central in Congress's decision making on the bomber force include the following:
the Obama Administration's 2012 rebalance in national security strategy toward the Asia-Pacific region and the military implications applicable to the bomber force; the expected contribution of bombers in accomplishing the critical missions of U.S. forces as outlined in the Department of Defense's strategic guidance, Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for the 21st Century Defense; the effectiveness and sustainability of the Air Force's continuous bomber presence operation—based in the Pacific at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam—and corresponding displays of worldwide power projection missions by all three bombers; the anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) challenge presented by potential adversaries and the developments related to bombers' employment in an A2/AD threat environment; and the bombers' role in nuclear deterrent operations and the impact of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty on the B-52 and B-2.
The starting point for Congress's debate on bomber modernization and sustainment is the existing Air Force bomber force, which includes
76 B-52H Stratofortress bombers capable of both conventional and nuclear operations and capable of employing long-range standoff weapons. The B-52H first entered service on May 9, 1961. 63 B-1B Lancer bombers capable of supersonic and low-level flight, conventional only operations, and employing long-range standoff weapons. The B-1B became operational in 1986. 20 B-2A Spirit, low observable (stealth) bombers capable of both conventional and nuclear operations. The B-2A entered service in December 1993 and became fully operational capable (FOC) on December 17, 2003.
Potential congressional oversight and appropriations concerns for the sustainment and modernization of the U.S. Air Force's bomber force may include the following:
the potential for a shortfall in the nation's long-range strike capabilities as development of the Air Force's proposed LRS-B continues; the feasibility and affordability of Air Force bomber sustainment and modernization plans and whether those plans bridge any potential long-range strike capabilities gap until the LRS-B becomes operational; the amount of money Congress and the nation should continue spending on 28- and 50-year-old bombers; the sufficiency of acquisition plans for the 80 to 100 LRS-Bs to backfill U.S. long-range strike requirements as the legacy bomber force ages out of service; the possibility of further delaying development and acquisition of the proposed LRS-B given sufficient levels of funding for sustainment and modernization of the current bomber force; the modernization, sustainment, and development of the weapons employed by the bomber force that affect the bombers' effectiveness and ability to operate in advanced, 21st century A2/AD threat environment; the potential implications of reduced bomber sustainment and modernization, and subsequent diminishing numbers of airframes, on any future rounds of base realignment and closure efforts; and the ability of the nation's industrial base to sustain an aging bomber force.