The Air Force has not ruled out sending B-52s to US Central Command to backfill the capability of B-1Bs leaving theater to undergo an avionics upgrade, a service spokesman said Thursday. “All options are on the table with regard to what mix of aircraft will replace the B-1 in the US Central Command area of operations,” the spokesman said. Lt. Gen. John Raymond, USAF’s deputy chief of staff for operations, had suggested that B-52s were out of the mix at a Wednesday AFA-sponsored, Air Force breakfast.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.