The United States needs to increase the number of bombers from 156 to 225 or more in order to counter Russia and China in the new conditions, writes the Warrior Maven portal citing the head of the strategic command of the global attack force, Timothy Ray.
Senior US Air Force officials believe that the current shortage of US bombers puts the department and the entire country at great risk in the event of an enemy attack, the media writes.
According to General Timothy Ray, the United States Air Force needs 225 bombers to respond to the alleged threat of rivals such as Russia and China. The US military said that the amount of this type of aircraft should increase from 156 to more than 220.
“The figure is around 225 or more. The B-1S and the B-2 are old planes.”
Experts point out that the problem of the bomber fleet is aggravated by its advanced age: the B-1S, B-2S and B-52, which are in service in the United States, were designed decades ago.
Although Washington is improving these planes, which allows them to keep them running for many years, the US Air Force (USAF) needs new platforms such as the B-21 Raider, which is expected to appear in the decade of 2020
“The USAF is a geriatric force: it has bombers, tankers and training aircraft over 50 years old, helicopters over 40 and fighters over 30, and it has a shortage of more than 2,000 pilots,” he said, in turn, Lieutenant General David Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
Meanwhile, General Ray pointed out that the difficulties of the bombers are also complicated by the lack of airplanes of this class among the US allies. “The allies have no bombers,” he said.
The general’s statements seem to reflect the concerns expressed several times by the Pentagon leaders that the US Air Force may fall behind Russia and China by 2025.
The USAF considered necessary to increase the number of fighter squadrons of 312 to 386.
The last body plan includes the creation of 22 new exploration squadrons seven and five fighter bombers, says the middle.
The question is whether the US will be able to avoid the delay. As always, senior officials highlight the need to increase the budget.
“Unfortunately, the Air Force has been constantly underfunded for more than 20 years. As a result, the current USAF is the most outdated, smallest and least prepared in the entire history of its existence. We no longer face adversaries of forces similar, but of equal forces given the military advances of China and Russia,” concluded Deptula.
Source: Sputniknews
