Images of US Air Force's new B-21 Raider stealth bomber on its first flight on 10 November 2023

A brief film of the undisclosed first flight is followed by stills and earlier footage of the unveiling.The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider was escorted by a Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon.A Reuters journalist was monitoring the activity at the Palmdale,California Plant 42 facility in the Mojave Desert.Plant 42 is owned by the US Air Force and operated as a component of nearby Edwards Air Force Base.It is a Government-Owned,Contractor-Operated facility (GOCO).Besides developing classified aircraft,it also services existing aircraft such as the B-2 Spirit strategic bomber.Lockheed Martin (LMT),Northrop Grumman (NOC)

NATO Hosts Massive Firepower: Several B-52s Deployed to Europe

The US is making a powerful point by again posting nuclear-capable bombers to Europe.On 14 March 2019,six US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress heavy bombers arrived at the UK's RAF Fairford.The air base has traditionally been a standby base for US strategic bombers in Europe.The bombers ,which are under US Strategic Command,were deployed from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.Over 450 Airmen accompanied the aircraft to support bomber operations.

According to NATO spokesperson Oana Langescu:
This is a routine deployment, but it shows that the US nuclear umbrella protects Europe and demonstrates the unique capabilities the US could bring to Europe in a crisis. The B-52 deployment is yet another sign the US is strongly committed to NATO.*
This is the largest deployment of B-52s to Europe since 2003's Operation Iraqi Freedom.NATO explained:
It will test how the bombers can conduct missions out of Fairford and will familiarise  air crews with operations over Europe, including the Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean.*
As for US Strategic Command,NATO added:
Forces assigned to the Command are on watch 24 hours a day, seven days a week to deter strategic attacks against the US and NATO Allies.

President Trump Re-establishes US Space Command - no Space Force for now

President Donald Trump has signed a one page memorandum authorising the Pentagon to re-establish the US Space Command,which had existed from 1985-2002.It will be the eleventh combatant command,headed by a four star flag officer and a deputy.
Combatant commands are leadership nodes comprised of personnel from all the services working together in a joint manner to advance a common mission set.They are not separate armed forces.Among the existing combatant commands are US Strategic Command,;US European Command;US Special Operations Command,etc.The original US Space Command was abolished in the wake of the 9-11 attacks so that US Northern Command (including NORAD) could be established to protect the continental homeland.Its elements were absorbed by US Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command.
The complex new organisation will have a staff of about 1600 personnel:600 of them from existing space organisations,and 1,000 of them new hires.It is estimated it will cost about 800 million dollars to set it up over a period of years.The first step will come next year with the nomination of a flag officer for commander,plus a deputy commander,for approval by the US Senate.*
President Trump considers this a move in the direction of creating a new armed service,the US Space Force.It's widely believed,however,that it isn't possible to create the force in the immediate future,while the US faces immediate challenges in space from Russia and China.*
Vice President Mike Pence made the announcement while visiting NASA Kennedy Space Center and the US Air Force 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida.He explained that:
The US Space Command will integrate space capabilities across all branches of the military.It will develop the space doctrine,tactics,techniques and procedures that will enable our warfighters to defend our nation in this new era.*
The Pentagon says that the renewed US Space Command is a critical step in accelerating our space capabilities and posture to defend our vital national interests and deter our adversaries.This combatant command will lead space operations and develop space warfighting doctrine,tactics and procedures.

General Hyten Lays Out US STRATCOM's Leadership Role in Space

On 13 June 2018,US Air Force General John E. Hyten,Commander,US Strategic Command,gave the annual John Glenn Lecture at the Smithsonian Air&Space Museum in Washington.Speaking in generalities to protect classified information,GEN Hyten noted that only 13% of Americans thought that sending US astronauts back to the Moon was a top priority,and only 18% considered sending a crewed mission to Mars a top priority,according to the latest Pew Research poll.This shows a disappointing lack of enthusiasm for space exploration.We need to return to dreaming,GEN Hyten said,to emphasise how important the STEM disciplines are,and to make sure we protect space so these dreams are always possible.Today,STEM is mainstream.Six percent of all workers are in STEM fields,and they earn 12% more than other workers.The cool kids are becoming the geeks.STRATCOM shuts down without a flow of these cool people.*
GEN Hyten,who has 162,000 service members under his command,said that they have two imperatives:
1.To operate within space to defend our nation;and
2.We have to defend space so our children can use it.
Basic research is where the next great idea is going to come from.For decades,it was thought the enemy could only hurt us through massive damage.That's no longer the case.Now they can hurt us in space and even cyberspace.Our adversaries get a vote.This is not the world I wish there was;this is the world that is,and the world that is has threats to our space capabilities;and because it has threats to our space capabilities,we have to be willing to do something about it.
When we have adversaries such as Russia and China that openly declare that they are going to build weapons to take away our space capabilities,we have to do something about it.So we're going to change.We're going to change the way we look at space.We're going to look at space,and we're going to define our future,and we're going to treat space as if it's a warfighting environment.There's actually no such thing as war in space;there's just war.
We have adversaries that are building weapons to take away our use of space,so we have to do something to prevent them from doing that.So we're going to build different systems,and different ways of doing business,and we're going to build operators that think about space as a warfighting domain;so that every adversary that looks at us will not try to contest us in that area,because,if they do,they'll realise that they'll lose.And that will prevent war from extending into space.We're taking measures so that any attack on our space architecture will be met in a manner,time and place of our own choosing.That's what our current national security strategy says.We're going to put a priority on building new capabilities to defend ourselves.Space superiority is not our birthright;Russia and China are building weapons that are going to challenge us.*
This is an exciting time to be in the space business.If you think about what's going on in SpaceX;in Blue Origen;in NASA;in the Air Force;in small companies.I've never seen a time like this;but now we have to take the steps forward;we have to push back;we have to support NASA in their desire to move back out into space with humans.Our nation's leadership is aligned like I've never seen before.From the White House,to Congress,to NASA,the Pentagon-across the Government,it's a great thing to see;but we have to take advantage of it.Now is the time.The big dreams and innovation of the sixties and seventies were only the beginning,and we're taking steps that will ensure that the benefits of space will be protected for future generations.With dreams,we can make our own history.*
STRATCOM deals with space in large part  through one of its component commands,US Air Force Space Command,headquartered at Peterson AFB,Colorado.*
The Air Force's highly classified Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is often suspected to be an integral part of space warfighting research and development.

USS Nebraska Test Firing Sends Powerful Message - plus the US and UK's new ballistic missile submarines

On 26 March 2018,the US Navy's Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) successfully launched two Trident II D5 missiles.The unarmed missiles were part of a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) in the Pacific Test Range off the California coast,the US Navy said.According to Captain Mark Benning,Deputy Director of Strategic System Programs (SSP):
The successful completion of DASO 28 was not only an important milestone in USS Nebraska's return to service,but also an important demonstration of the reliable and credible sea-based leg of the US nuclear deterrent triad.*
The primary objective of DASO 28 was to evaluate and demonstrate the readiness of the Nebraska's strategic weapon system and crew before its first operational deployment after its midlife refueling overhaul.The Nebraska is assigned to Submarine Group 9,one of eight Ohio-class submarines homeported at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor,Washington State.Ballistic missile submarines are an element of the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM).*
DASO 28 was carefully monitored by the Military Sealift Command's USNS Waters (T-AGS 45).Its instrumentation and personnel,including scientists and engineers,tracked the submarine and its missiles through the launch process.*
Both the US and the UK are currently engaged in procuring new classes of ballistic missile submarines.The US is procuring the Columbia-class,which will consist of 12 submarines armed with 16 D5 missiles;while the UK is procuring the Dreadnought-class,which will have 3-4 submarines armed with 8 D5 missiles.The two classes will share a Common Missile Compartment (CMC) design,and the US is providing the UK with technical assistance;while the UK has provided substantial initial funding for the CMC.
The Columbia-class is named for the first submarine in the class,the USS Columbia (SSBN 826),named in honour of the District of Columbia.Procurement of the new submarine will run from 2019-2033,with the first SSBN entering service in 2029,a Congressional Research Service report to Congress indicated.*
General Dynamics (GD)

STRATCOM Commander's Warning:How Russia and China Threaten the US and its Allies

US Air Force General John Hyten,Commander,US Strategic Command,testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on 20 March 2018.In an opening statement and answers to senators' questions in  both open testimony and private visits,GEN Hyten gave an assessment of the current and future threats from our adversaries and STRATCOM's level of readiness to counter them.Two US Army veterans,Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) are the Second-Ranking Republican and Ranking Member of the Committee,respectively,while US Navy veteran and former POW Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is Chairman.
According to GEN Hyten:
The most important message I want to deliver today is that the forces under my command (184,000 Soldiers,Airmen,Sailors and Marines) are fully ready to deter our adversaries and respond decisively,should deterrence ever fail.We are ready for all threats.Our forces and capabilities underpin and enable all other joint force operations.*
STRATCOM missions include fielding our nuclear,cyber and space forces.It also synchronises global missile defence plans and operations;electromagnetic spectrum operations and electronic warfare;over the entire continuum of land-sea-air-electromagnetic spectrum and space.*
GEN Hyten continued:
To maintain military superiority in this multi-polar,all-domain world,we must out-think,out-manoeuvre,out-partner,and out-innovate our adversaries.Deterrence in the twenty-first century requires the integration of all our capabilities,across all domains,enabling us to respond to adversary aggression anytime,anywhere.
The bedrock of our nation's deterrence continues to be our safe,secure,ready and reliable nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems).While the current triad continues to provide the backbone of our national security,we will eventually consume the last remaining margin from our investments made in the Cold War.
Today our nation is challenged by multiple adversaries with an expanding range of capabilities available to them.Our modernisation programmes are critical and include the B-21 bomber;the Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine;the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent;the Long-Range Standoff Cruise Missile;Nuclear Command-and-Control;and Life-Extended Nuclear Warheads;which will provide without a doubt the nuclear deterrence capability our nation needs now and well into the future.
The biggest difference between the 2018 and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review is in the return to threat-based planning and the response to great power competition.We started the NPR with the assessment of the threat-it was all about the threat-and based our approach on what our adversaries are doing today and the increasing challenges of the future.
1.Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons
I strongly agree with the need for a low-yield nuclear weapon.That capability is a deterrence weapon to respond to the threat that Russia in particular is portraying.President Putin as far back as 2000 announced that the Russian doctrine will be to use a low-yield nuclear weapon on the battlefield in the face of a conventional overmatch with an adversary.
We do have low-yield nuclear weapons,but those are with our aviation capabilities right now (the B61 nuclear bomb on NATO fighter-bomber aircraft),and those capabilities might not be the right response in terms of timeliness and survivability to get to where the threat is.Therefore,to respond to the threat,we need a small number of low-yield nuclear weapons that we can deploy on our Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles,still in the new START limits.
2.Hypersonic Nuclear Weapons
A hypersonic threat is a system that starts out ballistic,and so you'll see it like a ballistic missile,but then it depresses its trajectory and then flies more like a cruise missile or an airplane;and so it goes up into the low reaches of space,and then levels out and flies at a very high level of speed-and that's hypersonic,that's a hypersonic weapon.Both Russia and China are developing these capabilities.We'ver watched them test these capabilities;so both Russia and China are aggressively pursuing these weapons.I can give the details in a classified session.
Our defence is our deterrence capability.We don't have any defence that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us;so our response would be our deterrent force,which would be the triad and the nuclear capabilities that we would have to respond to such a threat,GEN Hyten explained at the recent hearing on Capitol Hill.

Watch DIA’s Beyond the Beltway: United States Strategic Command

US Nuclear Forces Upgrade Momentum - deep strike war plans

The US Air Force has gotten its nuclear forces modernisation plan seriously underway by awarding several preliminary design contracts to leading aerospace firms.On 22 April 2017,the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent contract was awarded to Boeing and Northrop Grumman.This is for the replacement of the silo-based Minuteman III ICBM and is under the heading of "technology maturation and risk-reduction."The contracts run for three years,at the end of which the winner will be chosen.Orbital ATK and Aerojet Rocketdyne are potential subcontractors for the GBSD's solid fuel rocket engines.*
On 23 April 2017,the preliminary contracts for the AGM-86B nuclear cruise missile replacement,which is termed the Long Range Standoff weapon,or LRSO,were awarded to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.This is under the heading of "maturing design concepts and proving developmental technologies."Each company got a 900 million dollar contract running for 54 months.At the end of the period,the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center will select one firm for the Engineering,Manufacturing Development and Production and Deployment phases of the project,the USAF said.*
The current nuclear cruise missile,the AGM-86B,dates from the early 1980s,when it was projected to have a 10-year design life.The Air Force believes the missile will continue to face increasingly significant operational challenges against emerging threats as well as reliability challenges.
Air Force Chief of Staff General David L. Goldfein noted that:
The Long Range Standoff weapon is a critical capability required to support General John Hyten's war plans.*
General John Hyten is commander,US Strategic Command.*
General Robin Rand,commander,Air Force Global Strike Command,told the House Armed Services Committee that:
The LRSO missile will ensure the bomber force continues to hold high-value targets at risk in an evolving threat environment,including targets deep within an area-denied environment.*
Besides the B-2 Spirit and B-52H Stratofortress legacy strategic bombers,the LRSO will be fitted to the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider,a very large stealth strategic bomber capable of both conventional and nuclear strike that is currently in development.Indeed,the Air Force has already begun planning for an appropriate stealth fighter escort for the B-21.The new fighter is known as the Penetrating Counter-Air,or PCA,and will accompany the B-21 deep into hostile territory.That's all that is known about it as of now.*
Besides its bomber role,the B-21 Raider will reportedly have intelligence gathering,battle management and interceptor capabilities-a bravura suite of competencies for sure.The B-21's subcontractors include BAE Systems;Rockwell Collins;and Orbital ATK.*
Nor is that all.The Air Force is also planning a stealth refueling tanker,the KC-Z.*
Boeing (BA),Northrop Grumman (NOC),Lockheed Martin (LMT),Raytheon Company (RTN)

Air Defence Puzzle:Complex Exercise Challenges NORAD,US STRATCOM

NORAD,the North American Aerospace and Defense Command,along with its close partner and fellow combatant command US Strategic Command,conducted a day of joint,comprehensive intercept and safe passage exercises in all three of the NORAD regions with a broad range of warplanes on 1 August 2016,the command revealed in a press release.The carefully planned and controlled drills ensured NORAD's rapid response capability.Normally,only one intercept at a time is conducted with only one type of interceptor and bomber involved.This test injected more layers of complexity by varying types of aircraft,commands involved,location and nationality.The scenario was a more realistic simulation of what an actual attack by a sophisticated enemy would be like.*
In these exercises,US Strategic Command B-52H Stratofortess and B-2 Spirit bombers conducted flights through each of the NORAD regions that were intercepted by three types of fighter aircraft:
2 F-22 Raptors in the Alaska NORAD Region,based at Elmendorf Air Force Base,Alaska;
2 CF-18 Hornets in the Canadian NORAD Region,based at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg,Manitoba;and
2 F-15 Eagles in the Continental United States NORAD Region,based at Tyndall Air Foce Base,Florida.*
US Defense Secretary Ash Carter noted that the bomber flights provided NORAD with an excellent opportunity to hone our air defence capabilities,while also allowing us the opportunity to closely coordinate operations with our allies and the geographic combatant commands.*
Our ability to conduct intercept and safe passage escort procedures to coincide with American flights reinforces Canada's outstanding collaboration and interoperability with our closest ally.Canada and the US continue to expand on our close partnership,added Canada's Minister of National Defence Harjit S. Sajjan.*
The intercepts honed Operation Noble Eagle's procedures,cross-border interoperability and coordination,and to reinforce the enduring defence relationship between the US and Canada.
NORAD is the binational Canada-US command that provides aerospace warning,aerospace control and maritime warning for Canada and the US,NORAD explained.*
Operation Noble Eagle has guided the joint Canadian-US defence of North American airspace since the 9-11 attacks on the US by al-Qaida.

Deterring and Assuring:Air Force Global Strike Command's Mission and Perspective

This blog has reviewed the 2014 Air Force Global Strike Command Strategic Master Plan,which is currently in force.AFGSC is headed by Lieutenant General Stephen W. Wilson,Commander.The AFGSC is entrusted with the nation's most powerful weapons,LTGEN Wilson points out.Its Airmen see things globally,their focus inherently global and strategic.They provide the nation effective deterrence and,when called upon,rapid global strike.
AFGSC is a warfighting component,a MAJCOM of US Strategic Command that executes assigned deterrence,assurance and global strike missions.It organises,trains and equips both conventional and nuclear combat forces for the President and Combatant Commanders.ICBM forces are deployed in a nuclear deterrent role,and AFGSC bombers plan and execute deterrence and Global Power/Strike operations to provide USSTRATCOM with a viable deterrent capability.*
The strategic environment continues to present a very dynamic and uncertain picture and the number of state and non-state actors that can produce strategic effects across the spectrum of conflict is growing in both quantity and complexity.In current and future conflicts,AFGSC forces are required to survive and operate in threat environments ranging from low threat/permissive to highly contested Anti-access/Area Denial environments,according to the US Air Force Posture Statement 2013.
The Air Force's nuclear deterrent and conventional precision strike forces can credibly deny adversary objectives or impose unacceptable costs by effectively holding any target on the planet at risk and,if necessary,disabling or destroying targets promptly,even from bases in the continental United States.
AFGSC has at its disposal two numbered Air Forces,the Eighth and the Twentieth,and five Air Force Bases.Over 25,000 personnel operate,maintain and support its 450 ICBMs;24 UH-1N Air Force Security Forces helicopters;and 96 long range,nuclear-capable bombers.AFGSC B-52H bombers have been deployed to Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and NATO exercises,while its B-1B bombers have participated in Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIL.*
The era in which the US can project global military power virtually uncontested will likely end by 2030,if not before,the Strategic Master Plan projects.The potential state and non-state actors that can threaten the US and its allies across the spectrum of conflict are growing in number and increasing in complexity.This requires a greater effort by the US to work with key allies and partners to maintain peace and stability around the globe.
Nations with Weapons of Mass Destruction and advanced conventional capabilities will continue to be potential strategic threats.Foreign intelligence and security services will continue efforts to gather information on US capabilities through HUMINT,SIGINT and imagery intelligence to replicate or mitigate US military advantages.Violent and extremist terrorist groups will continue to develop indirect means to strike the US through recruitment and subversion of dissidents or through covert insertion.They will continue to pursue their goal of acquiring nuclear weapons or other WMD,the Strategic Master Plan predicts.*
The Strategic Master Plan goes on to outline in detail a number of priorities that must be met to ensure that the mission of AFGSC will be accomplished,such as the modernisation and replacement of major weapons systems and aircraft.

Stretching Together:Exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 Tests ANZUS Alliance plus Japan

Exercise Talisman Sabre 2015 has concluded after two weeks of high-end warfighting training by the US,Australia,New Zealand and Japan.It was the first time in the history of the biennial event that had featured the participation of the New Zealand and Japanese forces.New Zealand contributed 500 troops,as well as aircraft and ships.The Kiwis were embedded with the Australian Defence Forces;while the 40 Japanese personnel were embedded with the American troops.*
Another innovative aspect of the exercise was the staging of drills in two separate locations within Australia:the Northern Territory and Central Queensland.This presented a test of the Australia-New Zealand-US alliance's command and control capability and,in general,the ability to carry out two significant military operations simultaneously in the Asia-Pacific theatre.*
The US was represented by the USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit,both out of their forward basing in Japan.As well,2 US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers flew a 44-hour round trip from Barksdale Air Force Base,Louisiana to target areas in the Northern Territory.This mission demonstrated the ability to project US Strategic Command's flexible,long-range global strike capability,and to synchronise strategic activities with a key ally in the US Pacific Command.
Massive amphibious operations were staged in Fog Bay,Northern Territory.These were the largest amphibious operations Australia has taken part in since World War II as the country endeavours to develop an independent amphibious warfare capacity.The operations included both seaborne landings and airborne assaults.Australia contributed 250 embarked troops from the 2nd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment and the HMAS Choules amphibious ship.
Special Operations Forces from the US,Australia and New Zealand staged a night raid near Darwin,Northern Territory.
The total number of forces participating was more than 30,000 personnel;21 ships;3 submarines;and 200 aircraft.*
In the Fog Bay amphibious exercise on 11 July,the Battalion Landing Team,2nd Battalion,5th Marines,31st MEU took part.The landing was integrated down to the company level with the Royal Australian Regiment and saw the Marines and Aussies sharing the same vehicles,being supported by the same aircraft and working for the same objectives.
We must integrate down to the lowest tactical level,said 31st MEU commander Colonel Romin Dasmalchi.Planning together is not enough.If we are going to endure chaos together,we have to drill together and practice as often as we can.The only way to learn each other's tactics is to have the Marines and ADF personnel confront tactical tasks together.
The Fog Bay landing involved a three-pronged assault at Native Beach and Stingray Beach,plus an aerial insertion farther inland.For the Battalion Landing Team specifically,applying combat power across multiple frontages has a massive dislocating effect on the enemy.Not only does it isolate the enemy and reduce his ability to muntually support;it allows us to rapidly generate tempo and momentum,added Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Fiscus,commanding officer of BLT 2nd Bn,5th Marines.
Once the beachhead was secured,the forces pressed inland to secure secondary objectives.That done,they assumed defensive positions for the night.For the Marines,it was a dynamic,multifaceted amphibious assault and sustained, combined arms live fire exercise and maneuver ashore with their Australian partners.

Large NATO Maritime Drills Commence in Baltic-strategic bombers deployed to Europe

Exercise BALTOPS 2015 has begun in the Baltic Sea area.The massive NATO drills got underway with ships from 17 NATO and partner nations sailing from Gdynia,Poland on 8 June.The annual exercise is designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability in order to strengthen combined response capabilities,and thus ensure regional stability.It will test the maritime defence capabilities of NATO and partner nations and feature an amphibious landing by 700 US,Swedish and Finnish troops.About 5600 air,ground and maritime forces will conduct air defence,maritime interdiction,anti-submarine warfare and amphibious operations in a joint environment.
The US-led exercise is under Commander,Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.It will involve 49 ships,61 aircraft,a submarine and a landing force.Participants are:Belgium,Canada,Denmark,Estonia,Finland,France,Germany,Georgia,Latvia,Lithuania,the Netherlands,Norway,Poland,Sweden,Turkey,the UK and the US.According to Rear Admiral Brad Williamson,Commander,Standing NATO Maritime Group 2,the drills will provide another great training opportunity for our ships,and will give Alliance and partner nations the chance to operate at sea as part of a large multinational force.The ability of maritime forces to quickly integrate is the cornerstone of the Alliance.*
BALTOPS 2015 will demonstrate the resolve of Allied and partner forces to defend the Baltic region,and is much larger than last year's effort.As well,US Strategic Command and its component US Air Force Global Strike Command have deployed 3 B-52H Stratofortress bombers and 2 B-2A Spirit bombers to Europe to participate in both BALTOPS 2015 and Saber Strike 2015,which is a US Army Europe-led exercise.The B-52s were deployed from Minot Air Force Base,North Dakota to demonstrate the ability of AFGSC assets to project conventional air power anywhere,anytime by conducting flying missions with European nations.The assets were deployed to RAF Fairford,England on 5 June.*
Our partnership with the countries out here in US Air Forces Europe and Air Force Africa is significant,said Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Dyer,23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron commander.We need their support,and we want to assure them they have our support as well for any kind of conflicts that may arise in the future-our relationship with them is key,LTC Bradley emphasised.*
In addition to the B-52s,2 B-2A Spirit bombers were deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base,Missouri to RAF Fairford as well for hot-pit refueling and engine-running crew change skill tests,the Air Force said in a news release.The events were meant to demonstrate the ability of the aircraft to forward deploy and deliver conventional and nuclear deterrence anytime and anywhere.The bombers will integrate into several exercise activities,including air intercept training,simulated mining operations during Saber Strike,inert ordnance drops during BALTOPS and close air support over international waters in the Baltic Sea and the territory of the Baltic states and Poland.
The deployment to RAF Fairford was specifically designed and closely coordinated with the United Kingdom and our regional allies to ensure maximum opportunities to synchronise and integrate with their military assets,explained Admiral Cecil Haney,Commander US Strategic Command.

Progress Made on New Ballistic Missile Submarine;President Signs Defense Spending Bill

Congress has established a separate account for the Ohio-class Replacement Program.The account will contain funds for the US Navy's new Trident missile submarine that will replace the Ohio-class boats,which are under US Strategic Command as part of the nation's nuclear deterrent triad,along with land-based strategic bombers and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.The purpose of having a separate account is to take the pressure off the Navy's regular shipbuilding account,which must fund ongoing programs such as destroyers,littoral combat ships,aircraft carriers and attack submarines.This will allow the Navy to achieve its goal of a 300-ship combat force;it has 280 ships today.
The ORP account will include a transfer of excess Pentagon funds totaling 3.5 billion,plus a 1.3 billion appropriation from the 2015 Defense Spending Bill that President Obama just signed into law last Friday.The bill also forbids the retirement of the A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft;forbids the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility;permits the awarding of Purple Heart medals to survivors of the November 2009 Fort Hood,Texas massacre by Army psychiatrist Nidal Hassan,who killed 13 and wounded more than 30 in support of Islamist militants;provides core Pentagon funding of 521.3 billion and 63.7 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan;plus funds for the training and equipping of moderate Syrian rebels and 5 billion for Iraqi security forces.*
The 12 ORP submarines will be procured from 2021-2035 at a Congressional Budget Office estimate of 7.7 billion per boat.The entire project will run about 70 billion dollars,according to the Navy estimate of 5 billion per submarine,which is lower than the CBO's.By the CBO's reckoning,the whole program would cost 92.4 billion.The submarines are intended to have a lifespan of 42 years-the same as the Ohio-class.The submarines will be the largest in the Navy's history at 560 feet long.They will be armed with 16 of the same Trident D-5 missiles the Ohio-class uses,fired from 45-foot tubes.A common missile compartment will be shared with the United Kingdom for its four new Trident D-5 submarines,each with 12 firing tubes.
The ORP submarines will enter service in 2031 and serve through 2085,carrying about 70% of the US strategic nuclear warhead arsenal in a stealthy,survivable manner.General Dynamic's Electric Boat division is currently working on their early engineering,design and prototyping at its Groton,Connecticut and Quonset Point,Rhode Island facilities.*
The ORP submarine will feature a quieter,direct propulsion drive system;advanced sound-absorbing coating;advanced sensing technologies;and the same communications system,antennae and mast as the current Virginia-class attack submarine.*
General Dynamics(GD)

Reagan Era B-1B Still Relevant Today

A US Air Force bomber first envisioned in the 1960s and produced in the 1980s,the Rockwell B-1B Lancer,saved from oblivion by President Ronald Reagan,remains an integral part of US Strategic Command,and will be for decades.Highly controversial for its cost and questions about its utility early in its life,it has proved much more valuable than many ever thought it would be. Indeed,the B-1B is the only supersonic bomber in the US inventory today,with the biggest payload.What is more,it is the cheapest to fly,even given the extensive maintenance and upgrades it requires. Capable of flying at Mach 1.25 at altitude,or 950 mph/1130 kmh,it was originally solely a nuclear bomber.By the 1990s,it had been given a conventional role as well.In 1995,it was removed from the nuclear forces. Though not technically a stealth aircraft,it is about fifty times less detectable than the ancient B-52 and features variable-sweep wings.Forward sweep is for takeoff,landing and high altitude maximum cruise.Aft sweep is for high subsonic and supersonic flight. The Lancer is still getting upgrades to its cockpit displays,communications and instrumentation.It holds 61 world records for such things as speed,payload,distance and climb rate.It can strike anywhere in the world and safely return to a broad variety of bases without refueling.Extensive electronic countermeasures,reflective coating and stealthy intake design make it highly survivable. The B-1B has been extensively used for missions in the Iraq and Afghan Wars,as well as in Operation Odyssey Dawn over Libya in 2011;Operation Desert Fox in 1998;and Kosovo in 1999.In the Afghan War,it has been used in an armed overwatch capacity,loitering in flight until tasked by ground forces for precision strike with advanced munitions. The Air Force intends to fly the Lancer into the 2030s,gradually replacing it with the Next-Generation Bomber.It believes the B-1B is particularly well-suited for the new Pivot to East Asia strategy,given its long range,speed and survivability.It will continue to invest in this reliable aircraft in support of Pacific and other strategic objectives.

Ohio Class Submarine Replacement A Priority

Speaking at a Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing Monday,General Robert Kehler,US Air Force,Commander,US Strategic Command,said we have to get on with it-referring to the replacement for the US Navy's Ohio class nuclear submarine.I continue to support the triad of land,air and sea-based nuclear weapons.They provide the survivability,flexibility and responsiveness which confound the enemy.
We intend to keep the Ohio submarines longer than any other submarines.I believe we understand when we will reach that point of replacement.
The land-based missile silos and airfields are not dependent on the local power grid.They are not vulnerable in that way.They are threatened by electromagnetic pulse.Defense against that is needed.
We made a number of judgements about the future.The value of a submarine-based deterrent will remain as high as it is today.The Navy's assessment is what's driving this.It's the cycles on a submarine,the pressure doing things to the metallurgy and fittings that encase them,affecting the continued safety.
Sliding the submarines over an additional two years puts them in the zone of concern.Twelve of the new class of submarine looks like the right number.It's the right capability/cost balance.We need  new long range strike aircraft as well,and the viability of land-based ICBMs beyond 2030 is an issue.
The UK wants to piggyback on the new submarine program for their own nuclear deterrent as well.It's a delicate dance.The 2013 budget continued the modernisation effort.I don't know how the 2014 budget will affect it.It continues to be a wise investment,I believe.
The 14 Ohio class submarines are the launch platform for the Trident II D5 intercontinental ballistic missiles that are the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad.