Overview

• Maj. Gen. Jason Armagost argued on August 7 that the bomber force must transition from one-off strikes to rapid, sustained long-range missions to uphold deterrence.
• The June 22 Midnight Hammer strike on Iran’s nuclear enrichment sites employed seven B-2s and 125 support aircraft and revealed limitations in follow-up attack capacity.
• The Air Force plans to procure at least 100 B-21 Raider stealth bombers, with discussions under way to expand the fleet to 145 aircraft to bolster campaign-force mass.
• Pentagon leaders are reviewing current and future munitions through a cost-per-kill framework to maximize options and strike efficiency against hardened and emerging threats.
• Complementary platforms such as the EA-37 Compass Call electronic-attack jet and upgraded tanker fleets are being prioritized to sustain high-tempo global strike operations.