Air Force seeks more survivable bomber fleet.

• Author: Harper, Jon
• Position: Nuclear Triad Modernization

The Air Force has ambitious plans for modernizing the air leg of the nation's nuclear arsenal. But questions remain as to whether enough funding will be available for the service to meet its goals.

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Meanwhile, potential enemies are enhancing their air defense capabilities, creating what Pentagon officials refer to as anti-access zones.

"Today only 12 percent of our bomber fleet is survivable in that environment," Gen. Stephen Wilson, vice chief of staff of the Air Force, said during remarks at an Air Force Association event in Washington, D.C.

That's why the service is pursuing a next-generation stealth bomber. The aircraft, known as the B-21 Raider, is expected to give the Pentagon a new long-range strike system that can carry nuclear or conventional weapons deep into well-defended enemy airspace and not get shot down.

"In the kind of environment we're going to ask our airmen to operate in, we're going to have to have that kind of platform," Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a strategic deterrence conference in Arlington, Virginia.

The B-21 is being designed to have an open architecture, which would facilitate upgrades as threats evolve.

"Open architecture allows new sensors or other subsystems from various vendors to be easily integrated into the aircraft," said Jeremiah Gertler, a military aviation specialist with the Congressional Research Service.

"As a result, the initial B-21 aircraft can be augmented more easily as advanced technologies are developed," he said in a recent report titled, "Air Force B-21 Long-Range Strike Bomber."

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The plane will initially be a manned aircraft, but unmanned operations could be possible several years after it enters the fleet, he added.

In October 2015, the Defense Department selected Northrop Grumman as the bomber's prime contractor. The estimated average procurement cost is $564 million per plane. Air Force officials want to procure at least 100 B-21s, although some anticipate more.

"We continue to work the exact numbers. But I can tell you that as the world environment changes... I think the demand for long-range strike only goes up from that 100 number," Wilson said.

The B-21 is among the Air Force's top three acquisition priorities. The president's fiscal year 2018 budget request includes $2 billion for further development of the aircraft.

Few technical details about the plane have been revealed. The Air Force released concept art depicting a flying wing design similar to the B-2. However, the expected size, speed, range, required stealth, structure, engines and onboard sensors remain classified, Gertler noted.

The service aims to move relatively quickly on development and production.

"Instead of the regular acquisition process, B-21 is being...