Escalated Aerial Assaults by American Warplanes Amidst Increasing Operations Calls
U.S. bomber squadrons are ratcheting up the pace of operations and international training, according to General Thomas A. Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command. Speaking at an Atlantic Council event in June, Bussiere referred to an "unending demand" for the Air Force's bomber fleets over the past 18 months.
In some instances, units have been asked to team up with foreign allies for weeks or even a month, while others have been called into immediate action without notice. Last year, bomber units were dispatched 33 times, including ten each in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, six in U.S. Central Command's territory, and several in North and South America.
Units have linked up with air forces from countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, the UK, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. Some of these deployments involved round-trip missions, where the bombers left and returned to the U.S. without landing elsewhere during overseas training exercises.
"Our allies and partners simply adore working with our bombers," Bussier shared. They love flying alongside the American flag, integrating with foreign air forces, or joining ground forces during drills.
All three types of bombers – B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s - participated in strikes against Yemen or the Red Sea over the past year, though Bussiere was tight-lipped about these specific operations. In October 2024, B-2s from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri struck five hardened underground weapons caches in Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels.
The Air Force has scrambled bomber task forces on seven occasions in the past 18 months, with four or five instances triggered by combat demands. One deployment lasting several weeks brought six B-2s to the strategic island outpost of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
"The combatant commander desired that capability and capacity in theater, and we produced those bombers, shoving them out to CENTCOM for combat missions," Bussiere explained.
These operations highlight the "capability and capacity of long-range strike, payload, and range," Bussiere emphasized. Bombers can hit targets from long distances and carry heavier munitions than other platforms. "I'm slightly biased, but bombers simply exude a different message around the world," he added.
Bussiere also predicted another long-range, stand-off strike platform would appear before the B-52 retires. He hinted at the Air Force's interest in defenses against the type of drone strike Ukraine used to take out Russian bombers earlier this month.
The B-52H continues to play a vital role within the bomber fleet. The model is undergoing significant modifications to reach a new standard configuration, nicknamed the B-52J. Modifications include replacing the engines and their pylons, installing a new radar system, updating communications and navigation capabilities, and addressing other elements of the almost-64-year-old bomber. The Air Force plans to sustain B-52 operations for at least another 25 years, exceeding a century since they entered service.
Despite some developmental hiccups, Bussiere affirmed that the B-52J's radar upgrade has not culminated in a major crisis. "The modification schedule, cost, and production of the radar are different than initially planned. However, it isn't a critical issue."
In its nuclear role, the B-52 is designed to fire cruise missiles from afar. It currently carries the 50-year-old AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile, but this will be replaced by the AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff Weapon around 2030. The secretive LRSO is expected to continue operating on a long-range strike platform that replaces the B-52 when it is retired.
The new B-21 Raider bomber is expected to carry nuclear-tipped air-launched cruise missiles as it begins operations by the end of the decade.
The Ukrainian drone strike that destroyed at least a dozen Russian bombers in June was neither unexpected nor a surprise to Bussiere. "That capability and that threat has been evident," he said. Officials from the Air Force, U.S. Northern Command, and U.S. Strategic Command reportedly discuss the threat "at least monthly" to address the issue.
The U.S. military is continuously working on counter-drone defenses. "We're doing a lot every day to upgrade our capabilities and capacities," Bussiere admitted.
Drones have long been a concern for the U.S. military, with industry developing methods to shoot them down, confuse them, or deactivate them using lasers or microwaves. However, crafting cohesive counter-drone policies to protect both military and civilian airspace has proven challenging. Differences in approach among the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and various military entities can complicate matters.
The government keeps its counter-drone solutions under wraps to protect both fixed bases and mobile operations. The Air Force and private companies continue to collaborate monthly on potential solutions to the growing drone threat. Yet, Bussiere acknowledges that the challenge remains real and worthy of attention.
"We're going to respect it, he said. "We're going to develop capabilities and capacities, and operational techniques to defeat that."
- General Thomas A. Bussiere mentioned an "unending demand" for the Air Force's bomber fleets over the past 18 months, with some units being asked to team up with foreign allies for extended periods.
- Last year, bomber units were dispatched 33 times, including deployments in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, U.S. Central Command's territory, and North and South America.
- Bussiere emphasized that bombers can hit targets from long distances and carry heavier munitions than other platforms, pointing out that all three types of bombers – B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s - participated in strikes against Yemen or the Red Sea over the past year.
- Bussiere predicted another long-range, stand-off strike platform would appear before the B-52 retires, hinting at the Air Force's interest in defenses against drone strikes like the one Ukraine used to take out Russian bombers.
- The Air Force is continuously working on counter-drone defenses, with officials discussing the threat "at least monthly" to address the issue.
- Differences in approach among the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and various military entities can complicate matters when crafting cohesive counter-drone policies to protect both military and civilian airspace.
- The government keeps its counter-drone solutions under wraps to protect both fixed bases and mobile operations, with the Air Force and private companies collaborating monthly on potential solutions to the growing drone threat.
