STRATCOM and the USAF top officials said the service would need 145 B-21s, instead of the planned 100, and a ‘high-end penetrating capability’ to face the increased threats of future combat scenarios.
On Mar. 18, 2025, during the McAleese and Associates annual Defense Programs Conference, the top officers of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) and of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) talked about the needs of the service in order to be better prepared for the future. Among the needs mentioned are several top programs currently in development, including the B-21 Raider and NGAD.
More B-21s
Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, head of U.S. Strategic Command, said that the Air Force needs 145 B-21 Raider stealth bombers instead of the 100 currently planned. This is the first time that the number 145 is explicitly mentioned. Previously, officials only hinted at it by mentioning that the service would need 220 bombers which, considering the planned 75 B-52Js, implies 145 B-21s.
Cotton already told the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2024 that he “would love more [B-21s],” while the head of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), Gen. Thomas Bussiere, said the bomber fleet’s size might need to be reassessed, with 220 being the suggested number. Cotton has now mentioned again the same number.
Also, Cotton would like to see an increase in the production rate of the B-21 as, when the Air Force deliberately chose to have a slow production to make it resilient to variations caused by cost overruns and budget caps, “the geopolitical environment was a little bit different than what we face today.” In fact, Cotton specified the threat is now “significantly greater,” although “this is not ‘Cold War 2.0’.”
Similarly, Gen. Bussiere previously highlighted last year that the demand for bombers is growing, as demonstrated by the increased number of the bomber fleet’s operational commitments. In fact, he mentioned that 2024 has “probably seen the highest level of activity across the globe.”
The Raider is not the only need, as Cotton said the service should also reassess the planned number of AGM-181 Long Range Stand-Off (LRSO) weapons and “pay attention” to the B-52J program. Since the B-52J will have to carry the LRSO, Cotton mentioned he needs “to make sure the Air Force is paying attention to that—to the acquisition strategy – and gets the B-52J out on the ramp as soon as we can,” although he did not provide further details.
Regarding the LRSO, Cotton suggested the number of weapons to be procured might need to grow. The initial plan set by the Air Force was to acquire 1,087 LRSOs to replace the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile, although Cotton did not elaborate on how many additional weapons the service should procure.
‘High-End Penetrating Capability’
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said that the service needs a high-end aircraft dedicated to contested environments, which can also work with the new Collaborative Combat Aircraft. These remarks come as the future of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is still uncertain, with the new U.S. administration expected to decide in the next months.
“Instead of going all high-end and then breaking the bank and not being able to sustain it, we need to have that balanced capability mix. But we do need to have high-end,” said Allvin. “The family of systems does need high-end penetrating capability.”
Allvin did not explicitly mention NGAD, but the reference to the next generation program is clear. “With respect to the overall package and what gets put forward, I think this administration will be making that decision, and we’re going to move out on that,” said the General. “But you do need the ability to maintain air superiority and penetrate contested environments, and that’s what our Air Force does.”
According to unconfirmed reports, the Air Force and the Navy have recently briefed President Trump on their respective NGAD programs. While the Air Force has already said after the review of the program that it still supports a manned sixth generation fighter jet, Trump’s administration will have the final word.
The objective of the review was to reassess the requirements for the 6th generation fighter and explore whether the current development strategy aligns with the evolving threat landscape and budget realities. Among the reasons that led to the review are the rising costs (expected to be in the hundreds of millions apiece) and rapid advancements in autonomous technologies.
Allvin also mentioned that the final decision might also depend on how well the NGAD fighter will be able to cooperate with CCAs. This will, in turn, inform the service on the right mix between manned and unmanned assets, as it initially sought to procure 200 NGAD fighters along with 1,000 CCAs.
“We’re going to be on a learning curve with them understanding just what [CCAs] can do,” Allvin said. “That will determine the capability mix between that and our high-end platforms that they will be integrated with and aligned within the human-machine team. What exactly that looks like, the proportion, we don’t know yet. And to be able to or to try and drive towards a single solution right now is probably not responsible.”
The service, however, made it clear that it will not transition to fully autonomous systems and there will still be a human in the loop. While the Air Force made many steps forward with Artificial Intelligence, there are still some questions about how it will be used in a conflict.
“I think we’re a ways away from fully putting combat in the hands of just unmanned systems,” said Lt. Gen. Dale R. White, the Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. “We’re still going to be a human on the loop to do the unthinkable things that we have to do. And so there’s going to be a period of time of transition that we’re going to have to work through.”
