The Civil Reserve Air Fleet is in good health, now that the various companies participating have consolidated following an unprofitable spate 18 months ago, Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Arthur Lichte said Wednesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. There was risk that some participants would go out of business, but now with Congressionally mandated work, participants are generally in the black. That’s fine for now—”there is no end in sight” to the need to resupply US forces in Afghanistan, Lichte said—but he’s not sure what will happen if the effort in Southwest Asia starts ramping down.
The Air Force is about to start considering what may one day replace the venerable B-52 Stratofortress, and take a first step towards imagining its bomber force in the long-term future. The service said in documents accompanying its fiscal 2027 budget proposal that it plans to start a “Heavy Bomber…